


Imperiumal

by LivyWrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BUT I STILL LOVED IT, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluffy stuffy, Mind Control, but hey what do you expect, it hurt my soul to write this, its a flippin miraculous fanfic theres gonna be fluff, pretty darn angsty if you ask me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 01:59:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 30,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15281103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivyWrites/pseuds/LivyWrites
Summary: Every akuma that Ladybug and Chat Noir face are defeated in less than a day. However... when the akuma Imperiumal decides to attack the most vulnerable place he can find, relationships grow and memories are destroyed. Identities are revealed and nightmares are made a reality. Marinette starts to fall for a certain swooning cat, and Chat Noir sees through her love for Adrien Agreste. All the while Imperiumal acts as a virus, bending the will of a certain someone to do his bidding...





	1. Golden Pendulum

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fiction that I've ever written, so I hope it's alright! Also, I've already posted this fan fiction on my account on Wattpad. My username is LivyWrites34, so make sure you check Imperiumal out there when you get the time!

"I am Blaze! The strongest akuma in all of history! I will burn my way to victory!" This so called Blaze was just another akuma. Just another delay to Chat Noir's schedule. He sighed in frustration as he stood on the Eiffel Tower, gazing at the akuma from afar. It seemed as though the akuma was based on fire. Great. Just what I needed. He thought to himself bitterly. 

"Chat Noir, I see you showed up early." Ladybug's voice sounded behind him, and he turned with an eyebrow raised at his lady. 

"How could I ignore the screaming, ball of fire?" He asked, gesturing with a hand down at the fire akuma. 

Blaze was obviously a boy. You could tell from his voice, which, annoyingly, was still screaming at the top of it's lungs and laughing maliciously. He was wearing a childish jumpsuit with fire designs traveling across his entire body. Around his neck was a red band that looked a collar. His jagged hair was dark with just a touch of gray, making it look like smoke. Over his face was an orange mask that looked remarkably like a ski mask. His eyes glowed a brighter, lighter orange, with no visual pupil. All in all the akuma looked like a wannabe superhero who had seen the bottom edge of a deal. 

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at Blaze, clearly not impressed. "Hawk Moth must be running out of ideas." She said, her hands on her hips. Chat merrily shrugged. "Well, let's stop Blaze before he burns down all of Paris." She said. Chat nodded silently and after a leap and a short fall, the two superheros were running towards the akuma, baton and yo-yo spinning at high speeds. 

Blaze instantly turned around, fire burning brightly in his held out hands. "Look who decided to show up. The bug and the cat." He said with a crooked grin. 

Chat and Ladybug stopped running, their weapons spinning as they watched Blaze with careful eyes. However, Chat wasn't too worried. It was just another akuma after all. "So what happened this time?" Chat asked, his expression showing his bored attitude. 

Blaze cocked his head, confused. "What happened?" He repeated. 

Chat sighed. "What got you akumatized? Couldn't blow out your birthday candles? Sparkler wouldn't light?" 

Blaze's eyes narrowed. "My home was burnt to the ground, and now all of Paris will feel my pain!" He shouted, holding up his hands, the flames licking the air. 

Ladybug and Chat glanced at each other before turning their attention back to Blaze. "Sounds about right." Chat said with a shrug. 

With a ferocious war cry, Blaze threw both of his flames, Chat and Ladybug easily dodging and racing towards the akuma. "Gonna have to do better than that!" Chat called out. 

"I was just warming up." Blaze said as he put his hands together, swirling together more fire. 

Chat stifled a laugh, Ladybug shooting him a glare. "Sorry, but it's funny! Warming up, get it?" He said to Ladybug. 

"Not now Chat." 

The two superheroes couldn't finish their short conversation. They were interrupted by a huge fireball blasting in between them. "Woah! I felt heat on that one!" Chat called out, knowing he was annoying Ladybug. That was part of his job after all. 

Blaze growled at the heroes and launched another fireball, then another. Ladybug and Chat Noir took one glance at each other and nodded, each coming from different sides of Blaze, weapons ready. The fire akuma frantically fired fireball after fireball, his teeth clenching in fierce concentration. Chat was almost to Blaze when the akuma suddenly screamed and jumped in the air, slamming his fists onto the hard cement once he landed. Instantly a shock wave of orange and blue flames erupted around the akuma, throwing Ladybug and Chat Noir back. "Enough! I've had enough!" Blaze continued screaming, sounding like a spoiled toddler who couldn't get the toy he wanted. The moment didn't last long. Blaze tilted his head up, glancing at the building behind Ladybug and Chat Noir. Without a word, he created another ball of fire and shot it up into the building. The ball loudly impacted the top of the building, the roof shattering. A chaotic storm of cement, burning wood and glass came crashing down, showering down on top of the two guardians of Paris. Blaze cackled and took a step back, watching what his fire had done. 

"Ladybug!" Chat yelled, sidestepping a large wooden beam that crumbled on impact to the ground. The air was thick with smoke, making it hard to see anything. He couldn't tell where the next beam of wood or piece of rubble would fall. 

"I'm over here, Chat!" Ladybug called back, and if Chat squinted just enough, he could see a faint figure hopping and scurrying around beams and chunks of wood and concrete. "Don't move, I'm coming!" She yelled, and he could see the figure start to come closer. She didn't take another step. 

Chat's ears suddenly perked up; something was coming towards them. It sounded like moaning, or...the creaking of wood. "Ladybug! Look out!" Chat shouted, sprinting towards that still faint figure. That strange moaning was coming closer, and soon the cause of it all came into view. It was the largest section of roof that had broken away from the building. The wood was on fire, and Chat only had a second to leap back or to be crushed. The burning wood collapsed onto the ground, throwing up another lungful of smoke in Chat Noir's way. "Ladybug!" Chat shouted again, covering his eyes with his arm to ward off the sparks and smoke. Once it settled, he ran towards the rubble, desperately clawing at the smoking wood. This couldn't be it! After all she had done, not some weak wood could stop her...could it? 

"The bug got squashed!" Blaze exclaimed. Chat turned his head, glaring at the underestimated akuma. "Uh, oh! Poor kitty's all alone." Blaze said in a child like voice, pouting all the while. 

Chat quickly got to his feet, fists and teeth clenched. He took a step towards the taunting akuma, but something grabbed his tail. He turned, and his eyes widened. It was Ladybug. She was trying to climb out of the rubble, but she was obviously stuck. Without thinking, Chat raised his hand. "Cataclysm!" He shouted, placing his hand on the chunk of roof. The black spread, covering the section of roof and turning it to dust. Ladybug groaned and pulled herself out of the remains of the roof, her hand over her leg. 

A few paces away, Blaze growled. "Little pest. What's it gonna take to get rid of the infestation?" 

"Are you okay?" Chat asked, kneeling next to her. 

She moaned and leaned against him, soot and ash covering her face. "I'm fine." She said, smiling weakly. 

Chat frowned, noticing her hand still hovering over her leg. "No... no, you're not." He said, glancing at Blaze. 

"I hate to ruin the mood, but fire spreads, and I have to be there to cheer it on." The akuma said, holding up his hands as he began to back away. Chat once again stood, glancing at Ladybug as she lay crippled on the ground. Blaze was going to pay. "You're not going anywhere." Chat said, walking towards Blaze. "Chat, don't!" Ladybug yelled behind him, but he didn't look her way. Blaze was going to pay. 

The fire akuma slowly smiled, his hands almost beckoning Chat towards him. "Come now, kitty..No need to twist your whiskers over some sprained ankle! She'll be fine!" He said, just a spark of fear in his voice. He didn't wait any longer. He suddenly turned and sprinted away, his feet pounding on the ash covered ground. Chat quickly ran after him, his hands reaching behind him and gripping his baton. 

"Chat Noir! Come back! He's too strong for you!" Ladybug shouted, almost screaming after her partner. But he didn't listen. Her desperate calls slowly faded away as Blaze led Chat out of the open and into a maze of alleyways. 

"Cut the chase, cat! I'm not a rat!" Blaze shouted, his voice turning to maniacal laughs. "Ha! I just rhymed!" He said, the laughs echoing off of the tall alleyway walls. 

Chat Noir continued to chase after the akuma, the two winding their way through the tight streets. Chat tried not to think about Ladybug, and how she had tried to stop him. He knew he could defeat Blaze. He was just another akuma; just another villain. Ladybug was out of commission, so now it was up to him to put an end to this wildfire. 

Beep! Beep! Chat dug into the ground with his heels, stopping his chase. He brought up his hand, looking at the black ring in despair as one of the neon green pads of the paw blinked away. 

"Uh oh! Time's up!" Blaze said, but when Chat looked around for the fire akuma, he was nowhere to be seen. He had stopped at the end of the alleyway, three walls marking the finish of the maze. Chat spun around to the only opening, knowing he had just gotten himself into quite the predicament. 

"Where are you?" He asked, subconsciously covering his ring with his other hand. Two eyes blinked into existence in the shadows, but they weren't orange. They were...Indigo. They were strangely beautiful. 

"Ah ah ah! The question you should be asking is...who are you?" Blaze's voice echoed, bouncing around Chat Noir, haunting him. Taunting him. 

"Fine! Who are you?" Chat yelled, feeling his heart rate pick up faster and faster. There was something about those eyes that were...hypnotizing. Past the eyes he could see a dark figure standing on the roof to his right and for some untold reason, he could tell it wasn't exactly Blaze. But...it was still his voice. Still his laugh. The black clothed superhero heard clapping, the sound surrounding and filling the alleyway, echoing and bouncing off of the walls. Suddenly, the area seemed smaller than before. 

"Good! You're getting the hang of it!" Blaze said, the dark figure moving closer. It jumped down from the building, still staying in the shadows. The only thing Chat Noir could see were those dark and deep indigo eyes. "Oh, and I guess I should tell you my little secret." Blaze's voice slowly quieted down to a whisper, and the figure took a step into the light. 

"Aren't you Blaze?" Chat asked, not realizing he was taking a step back. He took another, than another, until his heel hit against the back wall, blocking further movement. 

Again there was that taunting laugh, but this time it didn't bounce. It only came from the figure, who took another step. A hypnosis pendulum blinked into existence as it fell from the shadows, hanging from the akuma's hand. It slowly drifted from side to side, the bright sunlight shining on the golden surface. Chat stared at the golden pendulum. It swayed rhythmically, never stopping, swinging the same exact distance every time. The sunlight reflected off of the pendulum beautifully, the bright shine swaying just a split second after the pendulum. It was... gorgeous... gorgeous. He couldn't take his eyes away from the thing. "W-what?" Chat managed to whisper, his voice sounding far away... hollow. His mind was also somewhere far away, floating in some unknown space. Wait...but why? 

"Kitty kitty..." The akuma said softly, the pendulum coming closer as the akuma walked out of the shadows. The pendulum! It continued to rock, slowly but surely, and that was all Chat could see. It was all he wanted to see. He blinked, swaying with the pendulum. One foot, then the other, back and forth. Back and forth. 

"Blaze...?" Chat was falling. Falling deep, deep, down… 

"You still don't get it!" The akuma's voice echoed, somewhere far..far..away... "My name isn't Blaze. It's Imperiumal, and you have made a grave mistake in coming here alone." 

Imperiumal... Suddenly Chat felt something cold and hard on his head, and it felt as if the rest of his body was horizontal to the ground. Oh! I fell...when did that happen? He could sense the akuma's presence, kneeling beside him. The pendulum still rocked, and soon Chat Noir's eyes drifted close, the image of the pendulum still rocking in his mind. Somewhere in the distance, he heard a light beep that sounded from his hand... was that a flash of light? 

"That's it, little kitten. Isn't the pendulum beautiful?" The akuma asked softly. His voice was so soothing. So... hypnotizing. 

Yes...yes, very... very beautiful! I've never seen anything so...pretty...


	2. The First Dream

Chat's eyes slowly opened, and he was instantly disorientated. He glanced around at his surroundings, groaning. He was standing in a dark room. There was nothing he could see, only black. That was strange...he had night vision. Why couldn't he see?

"Kitty, kitty..." Imperiumal's voice suddenly echoed around him, and Chat spun blindly, his heart racing against a non existent opponent. 

"Show yourself!" He shouted, reaching out in front of him as he took a blind step forward.

"I'm over here, Chat!" Ladybug's voice shouted back. Chat's heart lifted, and he spun again.

"Ladybug?!" He took a step towards where he heard her voice.

"Chat Noir! Come back! He's too strong for you!" She suddenly screamed. Chat froze, his eyes wide as he tried to see through the darkness. Wait... that was the last thing he heard her say before he ran off. Why was she saying it again?

"Ladybug, where are you?" He shouted, becoming desperate. The darkness was so suffocating. He felt as if it were pressing in on him, and he suddenly wished he had never left his lady.

"Kitty, kitty..." Imperimal's voice said again, but this time it seemed...closer.

"Stay away!" Chat shouted, stepping...anywhere. He just needed to get out of there. Wherever "there" was.

"Aaw... but why!" Imperiumal complained, sounding extremely childish when a light suddenly appeared. Just the smallest bit. Chat stared at it. It was far away, blinking in and out. Chat instantly sprinted towards it, his smile widening as it became closer and closer. "That's it...that's it..." Imperiumal's voice echoed softly, but Chat Noir ignored it. He had to get to that light. He had to. One speck of light was better than this horrible, thick darkness.

Finally he reached it, but his eyes widened, and he took a step back in panic. It was the pendulum. The pendulum that Imperiumal had. Chat quickly looked away, but the glow still shined in the corner of his eyes. "Adrien..." Imperiumal whispered. It sounded like it came from the pendulum. Chat's heart jumped and his eyes shot towards the pendulum once again.

"How do you kno-" Chat was quickly cut off when the pendulum suddenly shot up right in front of him, shining more brightly now. It was...magnificent. Chat yelped and lost his footing, falling down onto the ground.

"You showed me. And now you're going to show me again." Imperiumal said softly, answering his unfinished question.

"No!" Chat yelled, trying to tear his gaze from the pendulum. But he couldn't. He couldn't move. "I won't!"

"Ah, but you will." Imperiumal said, and just as he finished speaking, Chat felt his hand move towards his ring and against his will, grip the smooth surface and start to slowly pull it off. Chat could feel the transformation happening, even though all he saw was the golden pendulum.

Suddenly a chorus of screaming voices surrounded him, and Chat closed his eyes. Even with his eyes shut, he could still see the pendulum. He could still feel it. Soon though the screams became decipherable.

"Chat Noir!" That was Ladybug, her shrill voice piercing Chat's tormented ears.

"Adrien! Come home!" Mom... That was his mom…

"Chat Noir! Ladybug!" Alya..?

"Adrien!" Why was Nino here?

Despite the screams, Chat tried to stop his hand, but instead it started to tremble, still gripping his ring. "Stop! Please!" He screamed, but the ring suddenly clattered onto the ground, and Chat knew that he had transformed back to Adrien. The screams suddenly stopped, and the air grew deadly silent.

"That's a good kitten." Imperiumal soothed happily.

Adrien was shaking. He gained control of his movements again, and he slowly stood up, breathing heavily. His eyes were still closed, but that golden pendulum still shined.  
"Adrien!" Ladybug suddenly screamed. She sounded in pain, hurt. Adrien spun around to the voice, but instead she screamed louder, piercing his head. 

He yelped and groaned in pain, holding his head in his hands. Still the scream sounded, and soon Adrien could feel himself screaming as well. It seemed as if the pendulum's light was growing brighter as well, and his eyes were slowly opening... It hurt...hurt so...so..


	3. The Waking

"Ladybug!" Adrien instantly sat up, his head spinning. He groaned and put a trembling, ungloved hand to his head. Wait...ungloved? His mind flashed back to that strange, long nightmare. He glanced up and looked around, panicking for a moment. He sighed, realizing he was still in the alleyway. No sceams. No pendulum. "What...what happened?" He muttered to himself, the memories rushing back to him. Imperiumal... Adrien slowly stood, swaying dizzily. The alleyway...Blaze... His thoughts were all jumbled, but soon he got them into order. The falling roof...Ladybug!

"Adrien, are you okay? The akuma got away." A little voice sounded from Adrien's shoulder. Adrien glanced only to see his kwami, Plagg. "You should've stayed with Ladybug." Plagg accused, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I need to transform! Ladybug's still hurt!" Adrien said, completely ignoring Plagg's comment.

"Adrien, wait, you need to listen to me. The akuma knows-"

"Claws out!" Adrien interrupted Plagg, his mind focusing in on one task. Find Ladybug. One green flash later, Chat Noir was running out of the alleyway, throwing the past experience and that strange dream with Imperiumal out of his mind. He would worry over that later.

"Ladybug!" Chat yelled, bursting from the maze of alleyways. Instantly he was met with a horrifying view. Half of the buildings in front of him were either completely destroyed or partially by fire. Burnt wood and debris was scattered across the streets, and the air strongly smelled of smoke. There was barely anyone out.

However, the one detail that stuck out to Chat Noir the most was the small pile of dust that used to be the corner of a roof that had fallen on Ladybug before he had left. If there was this much destruction, then Imperiumal was still out and about. Devastating Paris. Instantly Chat ran towards the small pile of dust, looking around for any sign of Ladybug. "Ladybug?" Chat called out, frowning when no one answered. "Ladybug!"

"Chat Noir?" Someone answered back. For a split moment Chat thought it was coming from the dust pile, but it wasn't. It came from behind him. Chat quickly turned, only to be met face to face with Alya Césaire. She stumbled back a few steps, her eyes and mouth wide open in shock. "You're alive?" She almost whispered the strange phrase. Soon more stragglers caught sight of Chat Noir, and they ran over, their faces lighting up.

"Of course I'm alive." Chat said, uneasy. Something was off. The small crowd of people didn't say anything, and Alya just gaped at him.

"Where's Ladybug?" Chat asked the crowd, his voice sounding foreign to the silence.

"I don't know. After you chased Blaze, she got up and swung away. I think she went looking for you. No one has seen her since." Alya said, her voice sounding weak. "Chat Noir...? What happened? Did something happen with the akuma? Did you defeat him? Why were you gone so long?"

Why were you gone so long? Chat repeated the question in his head, realizing that he had no idea. "I... Don't know... How long have I been gone?"

Alya suddenly looked very uncomfortable, as if she were afraid to tell him. She glanced at the people around her, some shrugging, others gesturing for her to continue. "You left five days ago." 

Chat's eyes widened. "F-five days?" He repeated, sputtering. He was gone for five days? How? What did Imperiumal do to him? "And you haven't seen Ladybug?"

Alya sadly shook her head. Chat's hope diminished, and he turned back to the pile, trying to think logically. Trying to think like Ladybug. "Well, Imperiumal isn't caught yet..If he were, then everything would have returned back to normal." He said, thinking out loud.

"Imperiumal?" Alya repeated, stepping up behind him. "What are you talking about? Are you okay?"

Chat looked over at Alya. Everyone still thinks he's Blaze. "What he said was a lie. His name is Imperiumal, not Blaze." Chat said. He had to find Ladybug. He took his baton in hand, glancing at the crowd of people before turning and running away. He extended his baton, vaulting himself onto a roof that was cracked and burnt. "If I've been gone for five days, that means Adrien's been gone as well." He said to himself, pacing the rooftop. "And where's Ladybug?" 

"It's Chat Noir! He's back!" Someone shouted. Chat's head whipped towards the voice. It was a man, and he instantly had his phone out, other people gathering around him and pointing up to Chat Noir.

"What happened? Where's Ladybug?" Another man shouted.

"Are you going to stop Blaze?" A woman yelled.

"He's terrorizing the city!"

Chat leaped off of the roof, walking towards the group of people. "Everyone, I need you to explain things to me. I've been asleep for five days." Chat explained calmly, everyone dead silent.

"Blaze has been attacking homes, starting fires everywhere!" The man with the phone explained, his forehead creased with worry.

His name's Imperiumal! "And you haven't seen Ladybug?" Chat asked.

Almost everyone shook their heads, except one woman. "I..I think I saw her. She was on top of the Eiffel Tower, but she wasn't doing anything to stop Blaze." Her tone suddenly turned accusing, but Chat paid no mind to it. The name was what was bugging him. Imperiumal! His name is Imperiumal!

Despite this minor annoyance, Chat Noir's hopes instantly shot up, and a smile spread across his face despite the attacks caused from Bla-Imperiumal. "Thank you. I'll talk to her, and we'll stop Imperiumal." Chat said, nodding to the group before leaping away.

"Imperiumal? Does he mean Blaze?" He heard someone say behind him, and his mind screamed. No! It's Imperiumal! Chat wanted to tell everyone, to make everyone correct themselves. He didn't know why he was freaking out over this, but he let it happen anyway. There was no problem with wanting to tell everyone the truth... Right?

The day slowly inched by, Chat Noir impatiently waiting at the top of the Eiffel Tower, pacing back and forth. His mind was still dizzy, and a headache had started to form. The interesting thing was, the headache hadn't started until he started thinking about that pendulum again. What had it done to him? He groaned and sat down. His stomach was growling painfully, and the sun was just beginning to set. He knew he had to get home soon, but he had to see Ladybug first. He had to make sure she was safe. 

"C-chat? Chat Noir?" Ladybug's voice came quiet at first, with no strength, but it grew in volume as she appeared on the railing, her eyes wide in disbelief. "Y-you're safe?" She lightly jumped off of the railing, taking a tentative step towards Chat.

"Yes! Yes I'm safe!" Chat exploded, running towards her and leaping into a hug, squeezing her tightly. "Everyone was telling me you had disappeared, and that you weren't doing anything to prevent Imperiumal from attacking!" The sudden action sent a shock of pain from his head throughout his whole body, but he ignored it. Ladybug was safe!

"Woah, woah Chat. Slow down." Ladybug said, taking Chat's shoulders and pulling him away, her face serious. "Imperiumal?"

Chat sighed, the headache becoming worse. For some reason, he couldn't get the image of the pendulum out of his mind. It was becoming hard to focus. "Yeah. He said his name wasn't Blaze. He said it was Imperiumal." Chat explained, once again beginning to sway. He blinked slowly, the image of the pendulum still in his mind. He felt so dizzy... like he was falling…

"Hey! Hey Chat! Chat, can you hear me?" Ladybug asked, steadying him. Her eyes filled with concern. She walked him to the middle of the Eiffel Tower, leaning him against the main support of the tower.

I found Ladybug... His thoughts echoed, and as Ladybug continued to call his name, she seemed to drift farther away. It sounded like he was underwater, everything muted and mushed together in a chorus of confusion.

"Chat, you gotta listen to me! Chat!" Ladybug shook his shoulders, but his eyelids once again felt heavy. Hey..this is familiar…

"Ladybug..." He whispered, her face beginning to blur. Gabriel Agreste. You can't go back to sleep! Your father is looking for you! He suddenly snapped out of it, blinking his eyes rapidly. His headache slowly subsided, and his vision came back into focus. The image of the pendulum was long gone from his mind. "I need...to go..." He said, trying to stand, but Ladybug held him down.

"No. You're not leaving until I know you're okay." She said firmly. So stubborn!

"Okay." Chat said, his hearing clearing as well.

Ladybug smiled softly, but it soon washed away, replaced with concern and confusion. "What happened to you? What happened just then?"

"Well... I followed Imperiumal into the alleyways, leaving you behind..." He felt a pang of guilt, but he quickly shook it away. "And then he cornered me, and I fell...asleep." He trailed off. Something was just barely out of reach, and it troubled him.

Ladybug frowned, even more confused. "You fell asleep?" She repeated, looking to the ground as she thought over this new piece of information.

"What happened to you? Why have you been gone? And why haven't you stopped Imperiumal?" Chat asked, wanting answers of his own.

Ladybug looked back up at Chat Noir, and Chat could tell that things hadn't been too easy for her while he was out. "I saw Blaze... or... I guess Imperiumal... leave the alleyways, and you weren't there. I tried to stop him, but he told me that...that he was holding you hostage. That he was controlling you." She paused, the memory obviously painful to her. "And he said he would kill you if I tried to stop him." She choked on the word 'kill', but she continued on. "So I stopped fighting. I ran away. He started attacking homes, starting wildfires, and I couldn't stop him. He kept reminding me about you, that your life was on the line." She stopped, moving her gaze from his.

Chat looked at the ground for a second, before bringing his eyes back to Ladybug. He reached up and moved her head, so that they were looking at each other. "But it's okay. I'm right here, and now we can stop Imperiumal. Together, as partners. That's what we are, after all."

"Yeah...partners." Ladybug said, smiling as well. She wiped at her eyes and stood, helping Chat Noir stand as well. He wobbled a little, and she steadied him.

"I'm okay."

Ladybug nodded. "Do you remember anything else about Imperiumal? How did you fall asleep?"

Chat dug deep in his memories, trying to grasp a firm hold on them. "I...I think he had a...pendulum." He said, the experience slowly coming back to mind. "Yeah, a pendulum. He used that to lure me to sleep." Right as he said pendulum, his headache began to form again, and he slightly panicked before pushing the thoughts of the pendulum far away. The headache slowly subsided.

Ladybug nodded again, piecing it all together. "Then he used you as a hostage, so that he could continue attacking." She smiled. "I'm glad you woke up."

Chat smiled back. "Me too." My father... Chat's smile faded away, and he walked from Ladybug, looking towards his home. He could barely see it from the dim light of the setting sun. Ladybug walked over to him.

"Do you need to get somewhere?" She asked.

Chat looked over at Ladybug, nodding. "I'll be fine. No Imperiumal is going to rock me to sleep." He said, taking his baton in hand.

"Okay. I believe you."

"Tomorrow, at this time, meet here. We'll hunt down Imperiumal." He said, jumping off of the Eiffel Tower. My father... I need to see him.


	4. Back at Home

Adrien stood in front of his cage of a home. He had to keep reminding himself that it had been five days. It was almost as if nothing had happened. Adrien took a deep breath and took a step forward, then another. There were two possibilities that could happen. One, his father would be completely furious with him and ground him for life, or he would show some real concern for his safety. Adrien personally believed he would have to endure the first possibility. 

Slowly and full of hesitation, Adrien gripped the front door knob and twisted it. He gently pushed open the door. He glanced around at the inside of the mansion, once again being reminded by his complaining stomach of how hungry he was.

"Adrien...?" Gabriel Agreste appeared out of his office, closing the door behind him. "You're back."

Adrien looked up at his father, frowning slightly. So far no worry. No love. "Yes. I...was attacked by the akuma." He said, keeping a straight face. That was what his father liked, after all. Professionalism.

Gabriel frowned as well, walking to Adrien. He took his arm, then the other, looking over him to check for injuries. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes." Adrien answered. It was simple, but it was all he needed to say.

Gabriel nodded, taking a step back. He clasped his hands behind his back, his face emotionless. "You must be hungry."

Adrien nodded, and as if on cue, his stomach grumbled. Again.

Raising an eyebrow, Gabriel turned his head towards the kitchen. "I'll have a meal prepared for you and brought to your room. Wait there and shower." With that last command, he glanced at Adrien out of the corner of his eye, before Adrien sighed and left to his room.

"That went well." Plagg said, flying onto Adrien's bed as Adrien carried his pajamas with him into his bathroom.

"It's always like that, Plagg." Adrien replied, shutting the door and turning on his shower. He could hear Plagg scoff and grumble in response.

A while later, Adrien was in his pajamas sitting on his bed, sighing. His entire body was sore. And like his father had said, when Adrien had gotten out of the shower, a platter of food was waiting on his desk. Now that platter was on his lap, being emptied as he ate the food slowly.

"Adrien...I need to tell you something." Plagg said, sort of hesitantly. He flew towards Adrien and hovered in front of him.

Adrien looked up from his food, intrigued. "What is it?"

"Well...I was going to tell you earlier, but you transformed before I could say anything." He paused, obviously waiting for an apology. When none came, he continued, now a little sour. "Anyways I wanted to tell you that...Well, the akuma knows your identity."

Adrien's heart jumped and he gasped. This was not what he was expecting to hear. If anything, he was expecting to hear something about Camembert. "What?! When?!"

Plagg sighed and dropped onto the platter of food. "When you fell asleep." He paused, letting the information sink in. "I quickly hid, but Imperiumal didn't do anything. He only watched as you lay there. He didn't even take your miraculous! I still don't understand it."

"So you were there, by yourself for five days?"

Plagg nodded. "Well I had you, although you were out cold." He folded his tiny arms. "Anyways after a while Imperiumal left. I don't know why he didn't do anything to you. It was his golden opportunity."

"Personally I'm glad he didn't do anything." Adrien said, shrugging.

Nodding again, Plagg continued. "Anyways, I left you for just a little bit to try to figure out where we were, and I saw Blaze, or Imperiumal attacking buildings. He was in his fire form, if that's what you want to call it, and he was just senselessly destroying everything." Plagg shuddered. "I saw Ladybug once, but Blaze said something to her and she left." He added.

"Imperiumal was saying he had me hostage. That's why Ladybug hasn't stopped him yet." Adrien said, sighing and laying down onto his pillow. "So... if the akuma knows my identity, does that mean Hawk Moth does too?"

Plagg flew so that he was hovering above Adrien's face, his hands on his hips. "Yep." He replied simply. Adrien groaned and covered his face with his hands, feeling extremely tired. He yawned and grabbed the platter, sitting up and placing it on the ground before collapsing again onto his bed.

"But if Hawk Moth knows, then will he try to hunt me down? I mean, the whole reason to keep my identity a secret is so that Hawk Moth doesn't find out...right?"

"Yep." He said again, although this time solemnly. "But don't worry. You can get help from Ladybug."

Now Adrien nodded, stifling another yawn. Plagg sighed. "Get some sleep." The black kwami ordered before flying away. Adrien nodded again and turned over onto his side. Hopefully this time, he wouldn't sleep for five days.


	5. A Late Visit

The pendulum was already in Adrien's vision when he opened his eyes. He gasped and scrambled back against his bed's headrest, slamming his eyes shut. "Plagg! Plagg!" Adrien called out, hoping his kwami would do something. 

"Shh... you'll wake the entire city!" Imperiumal chided.

Adrien's heart leaped and he opened his eyes, the pendulum slowly moving away. Adrien followed the pendulum up the chain to the dark hand that clutched it, realizing that Imperiumal was in his room. Adrien gasped and opened his mouth to scream, but Imperiumal clamped a hand over his mouth before he could say anything.

"Don't scream. Don't speak. Just look." Imperiumal commanded, and Adrien felt himself nodding. It made sense, after all. He wouldn't want to wake the entire city. Imperiumal smiled and held the pendulum up towards Adrien again.

No! Not again! Adrien violently jerked his head away, gasping as he fell backwards. Wait, why? There was a wall there…

"No!" Imperiumal shouted as Adrien fell down, down... A blinding pain suddenly erupted in his back as he hit the ground, the world turning black.'

 

"No!" Adrien screamed as he sat up in his bed, his heart beating a hundred miles per hour.

Plagg yelped as he flew up into the air. He flew straight into Adrien's face, clearly mad from his beauty sleep being interrupted. "What was that for?!" He asked angrily.

Panting, Adrien slumped down into his bed. "Another nightmare..." He said softly, trailing off. His head was aching, and his body was sore.

Plagg scoffed. "That's what I guessed. You started tossing and turning the moment you closed your eyes."

"Sorry." Adrien said, not knowing what else to say.

Plagg's eyes softened a bit, and he backed away from Adrien. "What was it about? And what do you mean by another nightmare?"

"I had a nightmare when I was sleeping for those five days." Adrien said, rubbing the top of his head. "They both had Imperiumal and the pendulum in it."

"Okay...I understand the Imperiumal part, but not the pendulum. Was that his weapon?"

Adrien nodded. "Yeah. He used a golden hypnosis pendulum to put me to sleep." Slowly, Adrien felt the headache growing worse, and that familiar dizzy feeling returning. "I don't want to talk about it!" He said quickly and loudly, forcing the thoughts of the pendulum to slip away.

Plagg glared at Adrien. "Well, okay...Didn't mean to offend you." He said sourly.

"Sorry... just whenever I think about the pendulum I get...dizzy..." Right as he said those words the headache returned worse than before, and his vision started to blur. Startled by the quick reaction, he quickly shut his mouth and thought about Ladybug instead. The headache subsided and his vision returned.

Plagg gazed at him in confusion, but he got the sense not to discuss it further. "Strange." He said quietly, returning onto the bed. "We should get to sleep."

"No!" Adrien quickly said, panicking. He didn't want another one of those nightmares. They unsettled him. "I...can't sleep." He took his covers off and slipped out of his bed, looking back at Plagg. I need a breather. "Can I transform?"

"Do you have to?" Plagg retorted, groaning. "Besides, I don't want you getting put to sleep again by Imperiumal."

Just for a little bit Plagg! "Just for a little bit Plagg." Adrien said, echoing his thoughts. He really didn't want another nightmare. He didn't want to see that golden pendulum ever again, and he never ever wanted to feel trapped or out of control in any way. Experiencing that feeling twice was more than enough. 

Plagg glared at Adrien, thinking it over. Finally, he sighed in defeat. "Fine. But only for a little bit."

"Yes, of course! Thank you Plagg!" Adrien said happily. Good. No more nightmares for a while.

"Yeah, yeah...whatever kid."

"Plagg, claws out!" One green flash later, Chat Noir was leaping out of the large mansion and into the chilly night.

"Huh. It must be close to midnight." Chat Noir said to himself as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop. He took a deep breath in, letting out a satisfied sigh. He had slept for five days, so he assumed he would be able to stay awake all night, and those two awful, strange dreams definitely supported that idea.

After a while of leaping around the city, he stopped for a minute, gazing up at the moon. It was full, shining it's dim light upon the city. The Eiffel Tower shimmered in the distance, and a soft night breeze swept through the air. All in all, it was the perfect night. "And no Imperiumal." Chat sighed to himself. Just as he said it, he heard a small sneeze sound from behind him. Heart leaping into his throat, Chat spun around, but to his surprise there was no one there. Becoming uneasy, Chat was about to make a run for it when he heard some footsteps. He looked towards the sound only to find Marinette Dupain-Cheng out on her balcony. Unknowingly, Chat had stopped on a rooftop directly across the street from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

"I know, I know Tikki. I'll get to bed later. I just need a break." Marinette said, seemingly to no one. Tikki...? Chat thought to himself, confused yet intrigued. Marinette then smiled and sat down on a chair, pulling out her sketch book and starting to draw on the pages.

What's she drawing? Feeling a sudden pang of curiosity, Chat jumped across buildings until he was on the bakery itself. He slowly crept up to the edge of the roof, leaning on the gutter. He looked down at her sketchbook, careful to keep his breathing silent. What's that? Marinette moved her wrist to reveal her drawing. It was a sketch of a summer dress, with flower prints on the bottom corner. The flowers seemed to blow in the breeze, thinning as they traveled up the skirt of the dress.

Marinette lifted her pencil, chewing on the eraser before continuing on. Her wrist covered the drawing as she did so. Chat frowned slightly. He really wanted to continue watching Marinette draw. He leaned slightly more forward, trying to look over Marinette's wrist. Still unable to see, Chat leaned a little more, then some more…

"WOAH!" Chat suddenly slipped off of the roof, the gutter bending and dropping him onto the ground. With a heavy clunk, Chat landed painfully on the balcony, groaning. "Ouch..." He mumbled, sitting up as he rubbed his back.

"Chat Noir?!" Marinette squealed, and as Chat looked up he saw her standing over him, her eyes wide and jaw dropped. "What are you doing here?!"

"Uhh... sorry to barge in..." Chat said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

Marinette's face instantly turned bright red, and she quickly helped Chat stand up. "Were you spying on me?" She asked. Was she angry?

"No..." Chat said sheepishly, hating how bad of a liar he was. "I was just patrolling and I slipped on your roof." He said, quickly covering up his pathetic denial from before.

Leading Chat Noir to her chair and sitting him down, Marinette seemed to accept the lie. "Patrolling? But aren't you hurt? You've been gone for five days! Where have you been?" She asked, her mouth sputtering out more questions then Chat could comprehend.

"Uh, sorry, I... well, it was Imperiumal. He put me to sleep for five days, but I woke up yesterday. I'm fine now." Chat explained.

Marinette only nodded. Strange...Doesn't she still think his name is Blaze? Why isn't she asking? She quickly turned and grabbed a chair, sitting across from Chat. "Chat Noir, you're a terrible liar."

Chat instantly tensed, his face growing bright red. "W-what? What are you talking about...?" The sentence was more hesitant then he wanted it to.

She rolled her eyes, sighing. She folded her arms across her chest. "Tell me the truth. Were you spying on me?"

Well, there's no point in lying anymore. Chat sighed miserably, knowing the expression he wore at the moment was 100% guilty. "I saw you drawing, and I wanted to see what it was..." He said, almost muttering.

Marinette raised an eyebrow and quietly laughed, only making Chat's face much more red. "I'm sorry, Chat Noir..." She laughed again. "But you could've asked. I won't bite."

"That's exactly what someone would say if they would." Chat countered, completely serious.

"Well, no one can ever be sure anyone will bite." She giggled lightly, but noticing Chat's embarrassment, she stopped. "Sorry... I thought you were... joking."

Chat raised an eyebrow at her before looking down at his feet. "It's fine. I get it a lot." He said absentmindedly, thinking of Ladybug. She always threw off his flirts...but I guess this time it wasn't a flirt, and it wasn't Ladybug. But then again, she didn't take me seriously. 

"What are you doing up so late?" Marinette asked, changing the subject to get rid of the stale air around them.

Chat shrugged. "I needed a breather, I guess." There was no way in this whole world that he was going to tell her it was because of a pathetic nightmare.

Marinette nodded knowingly. "It's the same for me. I was trying to do my homework, but I got a headache. So instead I came out here to sketch. I do it a lot."

Smiling, Chat nodded towards her sketchbook that lay on the small table beside her chair. "That was a really impressive design. The flowers drifting across the skirt was drawn beautifully."

Marinette blushed. "You liked it?"

"Of course! Why do you think I fell off the roof? I was helplessly falling in love with it."

Marinette giggled again. "Thank you. It's actually kind of a funny story of how I came up with the design." She said, trailing off.

"I'm all ears."

"Well it was an akuma you guys fought recently, actually. What was her name? Evergreen or whatever? Anyways her plant and flower abilities are what this dress is based off of. Remember how all of the flowers she grew were identical?" Chat nodded. "Well the flowers on the design are the same. White and blue lilies."

"Huh. I never thought of that akuma when I looked at the dress. I was just reminded of summer and the bright warm sun." Chat said, recalling the design in his mind. "I'm guessing you knew a lot about this akuma?" He asked, continuing the conversation.

Now Marinette nodded. "Yeah. I like gaining as much information as I can when a new akuma comes. It sometimes triggers designs, like that summer dress." She paused for a moment, looking over at her sketchbook thoughtfully. "Actually, I was going to design another dress based off of that new akuma that's been roaming the streets west of here." She glanced around nervously. "It's strange. He's only staying way over there, and only attacking homes and buildings there. He hasn't come near here or the school..."

Chat looked over to the west, and if he squinted his eyes hard enough he could almost see a dark cloud of smoke hovering over that area of the city. A sinking feeling dropped in his stomach. "Yeah..." I wonder why she hasn't asked why Ladybug hasn't stopped him yet...like everyone else…

"Chat Noir?" Marinette said after a while, looking back at him.

"Hm?" He responded, slowly drifting out of his thoughts again as he turned to Marinette.

She looked slightly sheepish for asking, but she went ahead anyways. "How exactly did Imperiumal put you to sleep?"

Wait, does everyone know that he's actually Imperiumal and not Blaze? "Well..." Chat took a breath, recalling the story in his mind. "Ladybug got hurt, and I chased after him when he ran. He cornered me in an alleyway, and he... transformed, I guess. One minute he was the fire breathing ball of death, then the next he was sophisticated. His eyes were indigo, and he had sort of a... powerful air around him. I don't know how to explain it. Anyways, he cornered me and then pulled out a golden... a golden pendulum." Instantly Chat felt his eyes droop, and his head sway. His eyes shot open, but still his head swayed as he thought about that rhythmic swing of the pendulum. Back and forth... back and forth... "I mean! He used... his...pendulum..." Chat was about to change the subject, but it was too late now. He was already half asleep. Oh how much I love that pendulum…

"Chat? Chat Noir!" Marinette instantly jumped out of her chair, catching Chat as he fell out of his. Chat groaned slightly, trying to force his mind back awake. It wasn't working. With one last struggle to keep his eyes open, he thought he saw a pink ball flying next to Marinette, who was talking to it while glancing at Chat worryingly. So...sleepy...


	6. Marinette's P.O.V.

"Marinette, what did you do?!" Tikki squealed, hovering next to Marinette's shoulder.

Marinette looked down at Chat Noir, who had fallen asleep on her balcony floor. "I don't know!" She had laid him down on his back, and now she was kneeling beside him.

"Yes you do. You had a knowing look in your eye when you prompted him to tell the story about Imperiumal!" Tikki scolded.

Marinette looked over at her kwami guiltily before giving in. "Well...I sort of knew this would happen... You see, when I was Ladybug, he started talking about the pendulum and then he almost fell asleep, but I stopped him. I was worrying about it the entire night! What if he thought about it on his way home and fell asleep on the street? Or maybe I was overthinking it and it was just some after drowsiness since he had slept for five days." Marinette took a breath, pausing during her explanation. Tikki huffed and placed her hands on her tiny hips, her eyes telling Marinette to continue. "I had to get to the bottom of it. It was driving me mad! So I decided that when we met for patrol the next day I would do a little...experiment..." 

"Experiment?!" Tikki repeated, aghast. "Marinette he might be asleep for another five days! We have no idea what this akuma wants or what his powers are. You shouldn't experiment with such things!"

"But Tikki! Haven't you noticed anything strange? He was completely fine until he said the word pendulum. Golden pendulum, to be exact. Don't you think that's a little odd?"   
Marinette looked away from Tikki and back to Chat, who had started to moan quietly.

Tikki snorted. "What I find odd, is that you wanted to experiment on your own partner! How do you expect to wake him up?"

Marinette looked up at Tikki, suddenly panicked. "I...don't...know." She said hesitantly. Tikki nodded, proving her point.

"Well, we better try. He's already been asleep for five days. He doesn't need to sleep again."

Marinette nodded, looking back at Chat, who was moaning slightly louder. Suddenly his arm twitched, and he let out a groan, rolling onto his side. "Chat?" Marinette asked tentatively, touching him lightly on his shoulder. Right as she touched him, he yelped and thrashed onto his back, suddenly panting.

"No! No, stop!" He yelled, rolling onto his side then back onto his back. Marinette scrambled back away from Chat in terror, who was now frantically flailing and groaning loudly.   
"Get away! Get away!" He shouted.

"Tikki, he's in pain! Do something!" Marinette exclaimed to her kwami, who was staring at Chat with a similar expression of horror.

"I don't know what's going on!" She replied helplessly.

"Imperiumal!" Chat screamed. He writhed in pain, arching his back in the air and then falling back down, screaming all the while. Marinette reached out to help him, but he suddenly stopped, becoming limp on the hard ground.

"Chat!" Marinette exclaimed, her heart pounding in her chest. Was he dead? What happened? What did she do? Marinette crawled to Chat Noir, expecting the worst. His expression was soft, his mouth slightly open as if he had been struck dead. Mindless. "Chat!" Quickly Marinette pressed her ear against his chest, listening for a heart beat. "Anything...anything at all! Please!" Her wish was granted. A soft pitter patter barely sounded in his chest, and Marinette leaned back in relief.

"He's still alive." Tikki said, hovering close to Chat. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Marinette. Not one akuma has ever done this. I don't know how Imperiumal has the power to make someone fall asleep like this by just thinking about one simple word... It's never been done before..."

Marinette bit her lip and looked from Chat, to Tikki, then back again at the limp hero. He had to wake up... he had to.


	7. Adrien's P.O.V.

"Marinette, what did you do?!" The pink blur squealed, but Chat never knew if it got an answer from the girl. His mind shut off completely from the outside word, and he was gone. However, half a second later his eyes shot open, but there was no Marinette or pink creature above him. He was lying on his back, on her balcony, the sky above pitch black. No stars or moon. The only light came from the bulbs that Marinette had strung across her balcony and once again, his night vision wasn't working.

"W-what?" Chat muttered, sitting up. His head ached, but he managed to stand. It was strange. There was nothing else in sight. Everything was completely black, except for Marinette's balcony and the rest of the bakery. He was suspended in a starless space, riding on top of the building.

"Chat Noir." A voice stated plainly. Chat spun around, and his head instantly throbbed while his heart quickened in fear. It was Imperiumal. He was standing up on Marinette's roof, his indigo eyes glowing fiercely. 

"What are you doing here?!" Chat took a few steps back, his back hitting the railing.

Imperiumal smiled, crouching down. He looked like a predator about to pounce on its prey. "We're here because you brought us here."

Chat glared fiercely at the akuma. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Imperiumal sighed heavily, reaching behind him, his dark gloved hand searching. "You're dull." He said simply, his hand stopping, having found what it wanted. "Haven't you noticed? Whenever you think about my precious pendulum, you fall asleep. And whenever you fall asleep, you dream. Seems logical, don't you think?"

"But why is this happening to me? Is it some sort of spell?" Chat asked, craving for more answers from the dark figure who still crouched, hand extended behind him.

Imperiumal chuckled, slowly pulling his hand from behind him. Clutched in his dark glove was a golden chain which led to the dangling pendulum. The golden pendulum was glowing softly. Chat instantly closed his eyes, having learned from previous dreams the consequences of keeping them open. "Imperiumal, I want answers!" He shouted.

The strange akuma only chuckled again, the low laugh echoing around the dark nothing that surrounded the bakery. "You may or may not find your answers in my pendulum. Just open your eyes, and your curiosity will soon cease."

It was tempting, but Chat kept his eyes closed. He knew that the pendulum would bring him pain. But... in my previous dreams...whenever I looked at the pendulum, I woke up. So why should this time be any different? Chat slowly crooked open an eye, his hands trembling slightly in fear and anticipation.

"That's it...that's it kitty..." Imperiumal's voice suddenly changed, becoming smooth and comforting. It was nicely urging him on. How nice that voice sounded!

Chat clenched his teeth and opened his other eye, both of them now wide open. Instantly Imperiumal seized his chance and leapt off of the roof, landing a foot away from Chat. He lifted his pendulum right in front of Chat Noir's face, rocking it rhythmically. Startled, Chat tried to close his eyes, but he couldn't. They were glued open. "No! No, stop!" Chat instantly shouted, taking a step back. He expected the railing to stop him, but there wasn't any railing. He fell down off of the balcony, suddenly landing on a hard surface. He looked as if he were suspended in black air. However, Chat never knew. The golden pendulum enveloped his sight, and it was all he could see.

"Kitty...kitty..." Imperiumal whispered, sounding closer than ever.

Quickly Chat struggled to his feet, stepping away from the voice. "Get away! Get away!" He shouted, reaching out in front of him, trying to find the solid pendulum to pull it away. But nothing was there. There was no pendulum. It was only that golden glow that blinded him, making his head ache and throb…

Chat spun around, confused even though he had experienced this multiple times before. "Imperiumal!" He screamed. He was disorientated. He had closed his mouth, but his voice was screaming all around him, and Imperiumal was laughing. His laughs sounded like they belonged to a maniac, which...in a way... they did. 

"Let it begin!" Imperiumal cackled. It was the last thing he heard before the golden glow dimmed, along with Imperiumal's uncontrollable cackles and screams of joy...


	8. The Pendulum's Grasp

Chat Noir groaned softly and opened his eyes, his head still throbbing painfully. His eyes were sore, and little black dots twinkled in them as if he had just been staring into a bright light. However, he wasn't suspended in darkness. He was on Marinette's balcony, while Marinette gazed over him with intense relief. "Chat! You're okay!" She said. "What happened?! I thought you were dead! You were thrashing around and screaming, but then you went limp, and-"

"Marinette, I'm okay. It was just a nightmare." Chat said quickly, reassuring her with a smile. "I keep having strange dreams every time I fall asleep." He groaned and sat up, a hand on his head. "I...need to go. I'm sorry, Marinette. I shouldn't have come." He said, the headache slowly subsiding.

"Chat Noir you are going to stay right where you are! After what I saw, not even a stuck up hero like you could jump home in the state your in." Marinette said firmly, helping Chat back into the chair. 

"I guess I don't have a choice then." He said with a weak smile.

Marinette nodded, standing up. "Do you need anything? How about a glass of water?"

Chat nodded, instantly regretting the idea as it sent another wave of pain over his head. "Wait! Marinette, aren't your parents home?" He asked, worried that his supposed screaming had alerted them. 

Marinette shook her head. "No... they went out tonight." She said, obviously shaken up from the previous events. She hurried inside. Chat silently stared up into the sky, gazing at the moon, his mind spinning. He was puzzled by that dream. Why had it felt so real? And why was he hurting so much like this now? It was just a dream, after all... and he had had multiple before.

"Here's some water." Marinette's timid voice broke Chat away from his thoughts. She handed him a glass full of ice water, and Chat smiled in gratitude.

"Thanks." He said, taking a sip. He felt the cold water trickle through him and settle in his stomach. He instantly felt refreshed.

Marinette smiled back and sat down in her chair once again, clutching a glass for herself. She seemed to be holding it tighter then she needed to be. "I'm glad you didn't leave." She said quietly, and Chat set his glass down onto his lap.

"Why would I leave?"

"Well, you are a bit...cocky." She said, taking in a breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "And you don't look...well. You're really pale."

Chat looked down at his water, subconsciously noting that his headache had gone. "It was just a nightmare." He replied, still gazing into his water.

"A nightmare?" Marinette repeated, a tone of curiosity fueling her voice. "What was it about?"

Chat's startling emerald eyes met with the bluebell eyes of Marinette. He broke away from the contact after a short while. "I...don't want to talk about it."

Marinette frowned slightly in what looked like pity, sympathy and disappointment. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it." She said.

Chat sighed, standing up and placing his cup on the table. "It was about Imperiumal." He said, walking to the railing and leaning on it as he looked back up at the sky. He shuddered as he thought back to the dream.

"Imperiumal?" Marinette got up herself and walked next to Chat, looking at him with concern.

Chat nodded. "The thing is...it didn't seem like a normal dream. It was as if I was really talking to him... then he had his golden pendulum-"

"Chat, don't talk about that!" Marinette suddenly blurted, panicked.

Chat realized what he had done and was prepared to feel that familiar feeling of drowsiness, but none came. Confused, he repeated the word. "Pendulum."

Marinette watched him in confusion. "Why...?"

"Aren't I falling asleep?" Chat finished the question for her, turning to look at her with a smile. "I don't feel drowsy! Pendulum!" He repeated the word, relief washing over him. "Marinette, I feel fine!"

"Just how long has the word pendulum affected you?"

"Ever since I woke up! But I don't feel drowsy! Whenever I even thought about the golden pendulum I felt tired, but I don't anymore!"

Marinette didn't know how to take this new information. She just seemed shocked and confused at the same time. "Was it something about your dream?"

Chat shrugged, not caring. He didn't have to worry about falling asleep randomly, and maybe...just maybe... he would stop having those nightmares. Chat smiled brightly and suddenly hugged Marinette. Everything was perfect. His headaches were gone, and the pendulum no longer affected him. After a while Chat pulled away from Marinette, still holding her shoulders. He looked at her surprised, confused face and slowly let go, realization dawning on him on what he had just done. "Oh...sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, Chat!" Marinette said, interrupting his apology. "You've probably been through a lot lately." She said, once again that look of sympathy crossing over her eyes. "If you want you can stay here for a little bit longer."

"Only if that's okay with you...I'm just a little disoriented." He said truthfully.

Marinette nodded knowingly. "I would hope so. If you weren't, that would mean you aren't human."

"How do you know I am?" Chat replied teasingly, leaning in closer to Marinette.

Marinette laughed quietly and lightly pushed him away, rolling her eyes. "I have my doubts." She said. Suddenly, they were interrupted when a small bling emanated from Marinette's phone. She sighed and pulled it out, glancing at Chat apologetically. He shrugged in response. She looked down at her phone, and her smile instantly fell.

"What is it?" Chat asked.

Marinette instantly blushed bright red and hid her phone to her chest. However, Chat caught a quick glance of the screen. It looked like a news page, and...was he just imagining things or...did he see Adrien Agreste at the top of the page? "It's...it's nothing." Marinette said quietly.

Chat put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, smiling softly. "You can trust me. I promise I won't tell anyone."

She looked into his eyes for a second before sighing and lowering her phone. Chat had been right. It was a news page. At the top in bold letters it read ADRIEN AGRESTE REPORTED MISSING. Marinette sighed heavily. "I get notifications from this news app... Adrien Agreste is in my class, and he went missing five days ago. I've been checking every day to see if he's been found but... there hasn't been anything yet." She sniffled slightly, and Chat put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry Marinette."

She continued to look at her phone, scrolling down. There was a picture of Adrien, where he was last sighted and more information. If only Chat could tell her...that Adrien was safe.


	9. Back to School

The rest of the night was spent with Chat comforting Marinette, and soon they moved on from the topic from the news page. Marinette did her best to stay cheerful, but Chat could tell that Adrien's absence had really affected her. But why?

"Wait, what did you say? You fell asleep?" Plagg asked in pure confusion, flying around to Adrien's face to catch his attention.

"Yeah. It wasn't that big of a deal." Adrien dismissed it quickly, shooing Plagg away. He had just got back from Marinette's, and he was ready for a full nights sleep. He was ready for a rest that wasn't plagued by those horrible nightmares.

"Big of a deal?! You do realize that you could have fallen asleep for another five days? And then your transformation would fall and Marinette would discover your identity, and-"  
"And that didn't happen." Adrien interrupted, climbing into bed.

Plagg growled in frustration. "Well, how did you just magically fall asleep?"

"I mentioned the pendulum to Marinette and fell asleep thinking about it. But it's okay, because I'm not going to fall asleep. Now I can say pendulum and think about it whenever I feel like it, because it doesn't affect me anymore!" Adrien explained triumphantly.

"Or maybe you're delusional." Plagg muttered, flying onto Adrien's desk and opening a box of Camembert. "Anyways, it's past midnight. You need to get some sleep."

Adrien pulled the covers up to his chin, rolling onto his side. "As you wish." He mumbled back. He closed his eyes and thought more about his recent visit with Marinette. Perhaps he could visit her again. She probably wouldn't mind. Besides, he wanted to get to know her better. He didn't know what it was, but whenever he tried talking to her as Adrien, she changed immediately and didn't seem to want to talk at all. As Chat she had no worries and neither did he.

 

The next morning came bright and early and so did Adrien. "Well someone's cheerful." Plagg said, stretching as he gave out a large yawn.

"I didn't have another nightmare!" Adrien cheered as he rushed to his closet, pulling out some clothes. He then practically leapt into his bathroom. Ever since the first nightmare, he had always been afraid that they would never stop. It was a faint uncertainty that was driving him insane. However, his rest had been calm and deep, completely reviving him.   
Plagg only grunted in response, obviously not caring.

In ten minutes Adrien was climbing out of the car, happily jogging into school. Instantly people flooded him, all with wide eyes and loud mouths. "Adrien, you're back!" One girl squealed, instantly getting shoved out of the crowd.

"Why were you gone for five days? It's been all over the news!

"What happened?!"

"How did you come back?!"

Adrien only smiled back at these questions before squirming out of the crowd. He put up his hands to stop the mob. "Listen guys, I was put to sleep by the akuma. That's all!"

One boy snorted. "That sounds a lot like what happened to Chat Noir. I saw a video of a guy recording him on YouTube."

"I heard he's back!" Instantly the crowd seized upon the new subject, talking excitedly.

"Well duh!"

"That's impossible! He's been gone for forever."

"Hmph. He's probably slacking off."

"No he's not! I saw him! I swear it!"

Seizing his opportunity, Adrien dashed away from the crowd, glancing over his shoulder before heading up the stairs and into his classroom. "ADRIKINS!" Instantly a yellow and white blur snatched Adrien into a choking hug. "I'm so glad your back! What happened to you?" Chloe asked, backing away for only a second to gaze into Adrien's eyes.

"Uh...I'm back, right? That's all that matters..." Adrien said, trailing away as he quickly slipped out of the embrace. Chloe looked hurt from the gesture, but she seemed to shake it off rather fast.

Instantly the rest of the class gathered around Adrien, chattering loudly. "Adrien! Dude! You're back!" Nino called out, pushing past everyone. "We all thought you were dead! It hasn't been reported yet that you've been found!"

Adrien stayed silent, not knowing what to say. He was soon saved when Alya shoved her way to the front of the crowd as well. "Adrien! You're back?!" 

"Adrien where did you go?"

"Yeah, what happened to yah?"

"Were you attacked by Blaze?"

Adrien sighed, knowing he couldn't slip past this one. He raised his voice to be heard over his classmates. "Yeah...I was."

Everyone fell dead silent, staring at him with wide eyes. "But he's been attacking far away from here! Why were you attacked?" Nino asked.

"Well... It was on the first day he appeared. Uh...he transformed from Blaze into a strange guy. He said his name was Imperiumal. He had a pendulum, and he...well, hypnotized me I guess." Adrien explained, watching with interest as everyone's eyes seemed to grow an inch larger.

"Hypnotized?! Are you still like...being controlled?" Nino said. His classmates seemed to back away a little.

Adrien smiled and even laughed a bit. That's nonsense. "Of course not!" He paused, realizing that he could make a perfect excuse of what happened from this. "I don't remember anything. My bodyguard found me and took me home. My father had private doctors inspect me, and they said everything was fine." He further explained, hoping they would buy his lie.

"Strange...why weren't you hurt at all? Why did Im...whatever his name is, hypnotize you if he didn't use you?" Alya asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Adrien shrugged. He was about to come up with another lie when the bell suddenly rang, and everyone sighed and filed back into their assigned seats.

Mrs. Bustier walked into the room, glancing at Adrien and smiling. "As everyone has probably noticed, Adrien Agreste has returned. His father contacted me this morning. I hope everyone has given Adrien a warm welcome back."

"Sorry I'm late!" Marinette suddenly burst into the room, half tripping on her way in. Chloe snickered, but as usual, everyone ignored her. Mrs. Bustier nodded, marking a tardy on her clipboard. Blushing, Marinette walked to her desk and sat down, gasping as she saw Adrien. Adrien turned around as Mrs. Bustier continued with the lesson, and he smiled at Marinette who stared at him.

"Y-you're alive?" Marinette whispered. Were her hands trembling?

Adrien nodded, but soon he had to turn back around. He hoped Marinette brightened up. He wanted to visit her that night.

The rest of the school day continued as usual. It was as if Adrien had never gone. People kept giving him strange glances, some ranging from curiosity to even fear. Perhaps they still thought he was being controlled by Imperiumal. But that was insane! He would've known if Imperiumal was controlling him. He would fight it, or Plagg would notice. Even his father or Nino would surely notice!

He also noticed how Marinette became more cheerful pretty fast, looking at Adrien with the same gaze as the others. Curiosity and wonder. However, there was no fear in her eyes.

After avoiding another mob, Adrien jumped into his car, and it drove off. He glanced at the digital clock at the front of the car and suddenly remembered he was supposed to meet Ladybug sometime that evening. He guessed it was around dinner. He would leave at five.

Adrien quickly jogged into his house, about to run to his room when he was stopped by a familiar stern voice. "Adrien, wait." Gabriel called. Adrien stopped, internally groaning as he turned around to face his father.

"Yes, father?"

"How was your day at school? I told the mayor you had returned and to report it on the news." Gabriel said. He was giving Adrien a strange look. He couldn't quite place it.

Adrien nodded, not sure how to reply. "That's good to hear. I'm sorry I caused such a mess."

Now Gabriel nodded. He turned and started towards his office, before glancing over his shoulder. "Don't fight Imperiumal." He stated simply before walking into his office and shutting the door firmly behind him.

Adrien stared at the door in front of him, trying to make sense of the strange command. He started to panic. Does my father know I'm Chat Noir? Why would he say fight? "Plagg...? Did you just hear what he said?" Adrien asked softly to his kwami, turning and walking to his room.

"Yeah I heard it." Came the reply.

"Well...?"

They entered his room and Adrien quickly shut the door, turning to face Plagg. "I don't think you should worry about it. He's just looking out for you in his own...stern way."  
Adrien still wasn't convinced. "Do you think he knows-"

"No. No way." Plagg quickly interrupted. "There's no way he could know you're Chat Noir. Although, he might be wondering why you disappeared then reappeared at the same time as Chat Noir. That might be a bit odd."

Adrien nodded, trying to persuade himself. Plagg was right. There was no way he could've known... Unless he could read minds...or maybe he had an outside source.


	10. A Wasteful Patrol

"How long have you been here?" Ladybug asked as she leaned against the Eiffel Tower railing next to Chat Noir.

He shrugged. "I don't know...maybe ten minutes?" He paused as Ladybug nodded. "Have you seen Imperiumal at all lately?" Chat asked.

"No... Now that I think about it, I haven't seen him anywhere in the city. And I mean anywhere." She sighed and looked out over the city. "I've heard that all of the fires have been put out, and now damage is starting to be repaired. It's strange, isn't it? That suddenly he would disappear after so much success."

"Maybe it's because I woke up." Chat suggested, looking over at Ladybug. She seemed troubled, which would only make sense...but he could tell something else was bothering her. Something that wasn't related to the akuma at all. "Ladybug, are you okay?" He asked tentatively.

She looked at Chat, startled, and her cheeks suddenly blushed bright red. "What? Oh yeah, I'm okay...why? Why would you ask?" She sounded frantic and embarrassed.

"You look...troubled."

"Oh!" She laughed a bit, as if to say, 'Silly me!' but instead she nervously twiddled her thumbs. "Nothing's wrong." She said, forcing her eyes away from Chat. "We should start patrol and look for Imperiumal."

Chat nodded, smiling to himself as they jumped off of the Eiffel Tower. He had a feeling that Ladybug's red cheeks had something to do with him.

 

The entire night proved to be fruitless. Throughout the patrol Chat kept thinking about those parting words his father had given him. Don't fight Imperiumal. It was almost as if he knew that he was going to go out on a patrol with Ladybug. He tried not to think about it too much.

Despite that, Ladybug and Chat hadn't found any sign that Imperiumal even existed. Even worse, Ladybug seemed out of it the entire evening, avoiding Chat's eyes whenever possible.

The patrol ended off with Ladybug giving Chat a quick farewell with bright red cheeks. Chat nodded in return as she swung away. Trying to take as long as possible, Chat grudgingly set off for home when he paused. He could go see Marinette. Surely she wouldn't mind. With a new plan, Chat turned towards Marinette's bakery and made his way forward.

It didn't take him long to arrive at the balcony, but to his dismay, Marinette wasn't outside. Feeling slightly nervous, he landed on the balcony and crouched near the trap door, looking through it to see if anyone was in. He could see Marinette sitting at her desk, writing on something he couldn't see. However, no one else was in the room, so Chat felt it safe to knock. He did just that, knocking lightly on the glass. Marinette jumped slightly and turned, but once she saw Chat, she smiled. Climbing up the ladder she opened the trap door, climbing out onto the balcony. Chat helped her stand, and together they walked to the railing. Chat jumped up to sit on it, his legs dangling over her balcony floor.

"What are you doing here, Chat?" Marinette asked, trying to sound disapproving, but he could tell that she was glad to see him.

He shrugged. "I just wanted to see you." He said, smiling. Marinette smiled back.

"I guess I can't throw out a stray cat." She paused for a moment. "I'll let you stay for a bit. But, unlike last night, my parents are home so if you hear anything you better get out of here as fast as you can."

Chat raised an eyebrow. "Why? Am I embarrassing to you?"

"No..." Marinette said quietly, her cheeks pink. "So, uh, how did it go with Ladybug?" She asked, quickly changing the subject.

"It was fine." Chat said absently, shrugging his shoulders. "Wait, how did you know I was with Ladybug?"

A moment of panic flew across Marinette's face, leaving Chat curious, but she quickly covered it up. "I saw the two of you jumping around the city." Chat wanted to press for more information, but he let it slide. "What were you guys trying to find?" Marinette asked after a while.

"We were trying to find Imperiumal, but it's strange...He hasn't shown up since I woke up after my five day nap." Chat said.

Marinette sighed and looked out over the city. "That is strange. Maybe he's afraid to face both you and Ladybug?" She looked back at him.

Chat took this into consideration, but it still didn't make sense. "I don't know...he wasn't afraid to face us as Blaze. Why would he be scared now?"

"You're right." Marinette said. "Well, no matter the reason, he's definitely still out there in hiding."

"Is he though?" Chat said, thinking hard.

"What do you mean?"

Chat looked at Marinette, his hopes rising. "Maybe he's gone. Maybe he got defeated somehow, or the akuma wore off, or..."

"I thought akumas couldn't just wear off." Marinette pointed out.

"Oh...right." Chat said, the idea immediately gone. He was actually hoping Imperiumal had gone.

There was a moment of silence, both Marinette and Chat pondering the possibilities of where Imperiumal could be. However, Marinette soon broke the silence. "Oh, Chat! I wanted to tell you something!" Chat slid off of the railing, looking over Marinette's shoulder. She pulled out her phone. This time on the screen was again a picture of Adrien, but this time the big bold letters read AGRESTE FOUND AFTER SIX DAYS. "He was back at school today." She said excitedly.

Chat smiled, but a large ball of guilt was growing inside him. If only he could tell her...if only he could tell her... "Are you friends with Adrien?" he asked.

Marinette's face turned slightly red, and she smiled. "More or less..." Chat raised an eyebrow. He was used to girls being obsessed with Adrien, but it was different with Marinette. She didn't seem obsessed, only embarrassed. It was...adorable.

"More or less?" Chat repeated, a teasing tone in his voice. "Do you...like him?"

Marinette's face blushed bright red and she shoved Chat. "You don't know what you're talking about!" She said furiously, but she was smiling the entire time.

Chat laughed and raised his hands in the air. "Sorry, sorry!" He said, laughing some more as Marinette groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I won't tell him, I swear."  
Marinette looked up, slightly panicked. She sighed. "I'm too obvious. You don't need to keep it a secret. He'll probably find out anyway..."

Chat could tell instantly that she had a crush on Adrien, or rather...himself, and it made him wonder... how could he not tell before?


	11. Recurring Dreams

The rest of his visit left Chat Noir incredibly happy, but he had felt extremely disappointed to leave. He couldn't help but look forward to the next evening, which both he and Marinette had agreed to meet.

"Chat, Marinette isn't...distracting you from patrol, is she?" Plagg asked tentatively to Adrien once they were back in his room.

Adrien looked up at Plagg, laughing. "Are you kidding? Of course not!" However, the truth was, he didn't think they'd ever find Imperiumal. He was simply gone. The patrols with Ladybug were useless, and he couldn't help but feel more drawn to Marinette than Ladybug...it was strange.

Plagg sighed and let the matter slide, returning to his beloved Camembert. "Well it better not." He grumbled.

Adrien rolled his eyes and walked to his bathroom, realizing with glee that he wouldn't be having a nightmare. It still made him overjoyed when he thought about the pendulum and didn't fall asleep. It only proved the fact that Imperiumal was indeed gone. He got ready for bed then walked back out, glancing at Plagg only to see him hugging his Camembert with a similar expression of glee Adrien had moments before. "Goodnight Plagg." He said quietly, as if he were worried to disrupt Plagg's happy eating.

"Night." Plagg responded before shoving half of the cheese into his mouth.

Adrien crawled into bed and closed his eyes, the back of his mind reminding him he hadn't seen his father since that time he had given him that strange parting...

 

Adrien opened his eyes, groaning as he was blinded by a bright light. He blinked, thinking his eyes would focus. He was probably just waking up for school. However, the light didn't fade, and his sight didn't return. Now rubbing his eyes, Adrien sat up, moving his head around even though he couldn't see anything but that bright light. With a sinking feeling Adrien suddenly recognized the light. It was golden. The pendulum. Adrien quickly got to his feet, walking forward only to run into what felt like bars. He was in a cage. He looked around, trying to see past the light. "Disoriented, kitten?" Imperiumal's voice sounded from above. Adrien's head snapped up, but then again, he couldn't see anything. 

"Where are you?" Adrien called out, holding out his hands as if he were blind, which, he was. Let me see! Get this blinding light away from me! Suddenly, the light flickered, just for seconds at a time, and Adrien saw some of his surroundings. He saw that he really was in a cage, and outside of it there was only black. He looked up while the light flickered still, seeing Imperiumal standing on top of the bars directly above him. Imperiumal cackled, and the light came back. Adrien's head throbbed painfully, and he groaned, again thinking with all of his might to get rid of the light. But nothing happened. "I thought I was done with this... Why am I still having dreams?" Adrien said mostly to himself, but Imperiumal answered.

"My dear kitten, did you lose faith in me? Think you had won? You saw my pendulum once and that was more than enough." The akuma said, and Adrien could tell he was smiling.

"What do you mean?" Adrien said, feeling extremely vulnerable. He placed a hand over his ring finger, quickly realizing there was nothing there.

Imperiumal cackled once more. "I'll give you a hint. Haven't you found it odd, that although you are just barely experiencing this dream, you know how to fight the light?" He paused. "Now be specific; how did you do it? How did you get the light to flicker?"

Adrien opened his mouth to respond, but he was stumped. How did he do it? "I just thought-"

"Exactly." Imperiumal interrupted.

"Exactly what?"

"You'll figure it out eventually. However, I suggest you fight desperately every night. Because trust my words, this will happen again. And again... and again..." Suddenly Imperiumal's voice drifted away, and so did Adrien. Drifting...drifting...

 

Adrien's eyes shot open. There was no blinding light. There was no cage. There was only the morning sun that shone through his windows. "Plagg..." Adrien said weakly, his head throbbing just as painfully as it had in the dream. He realized that the dreams would continue... he didn't know why he had such confidence, but Imperiumal had said they would. But when did Adrien ever listen to an akuma?

"Adrien?" Plagg was now hovering in front of Adrien, an actual look of worry on his face. "What's with you? You're really pale..."

"Plagg, I had another nightmare."

"So?" Plagg asked, backing away as Adrien sat up.

Adrien glared at Plagg, but something as simple as that sent a huge wave of pain over his head. "Never mind." He said grudgingly, feeling foolish to have even told his small black kwami. He wouldn't care. He just didn't want his smooth flow of Camembert to end. He slid out of bed, wincing as his head screamed in protest.

"You okay, kid?" Plagg asked hesitantly, following Adrien as he made his way to his closet.

"Just fine." Adrien mumbled, his head throbbing worse than before.

Plagg looked like he wanted to linger on the subject a bit longer, but he silently gave up. "Well... ok." He then flew off.

Adrien groaned as his head suffered another wave of pain. Why were the dreams back? And would they really continue? Why had Imperiumal said to fight desperately every night? Was he going to have to fight that blinding light? Or Imperiumal himself? Were these dreams affecting him in real life? It certainly felt like it.


	12. Another Patrol

School came and went, as well as the rest of the day. Adrien barely had time to comprehend how fast the time flew until Plagg lightly touched Adrien on his shoulder. "You okay, kid? You look really out of it. And I mean really out of it."

Adrien continued to stare out of his bedroom window, lost in thought. He glanced at his kwami for a moment, not noticing him before. He shrugged. "I'm fine." He said, still half in his thoughts. He kept thinking about that dream. It wasn't unlike any dream he had ever had. It felt real. Not just deja vu, but like it had actually occurred. What was even more troublesome, was that he felt just as sore as he had in his dream. And it might just have been his imagination, but he also thought he had seen spots in his eyes as if he had just stared into a bright light…

"That's not good enough for me Adrien." Plagg scolded. "What's going on? You've been silent the entire day, even around Nino. Usually you act like an idiot around him."

"Thanks."

"That wasn't a compliment."

Adrien sighed. "What do you want, huh? Want a life long story of how rough my life is?"

Plagg glared at Adrien before answering. "No. I just want to hear about your nightmare."

"Oh really? You didn't show much interest last night." Adrien snapped.

"Well, now I'm showing interest."

"Wow, that just makes my day." Adrien replied sarcastically.

Plagg hesitated before answering, clearly concerned while trying to contain his urge to fight back. "Why are you acting this way? Is it because of that dream?"

"You mean nightmare?"

"Sure. The nightmare. You've been silent all day, with this blank face. Haven't you realized that you're supposed to be on patrol with Ladybug right now?" Plagg said.

Adrien didn't want to go on patrol. He wanted to stay home. He didn't want to face Ladybug, and he definitely didn't want her to give him another argument similar to the one he was having with Plagg. In fact, he wanted to go see Marinette, but he knew Ladybug would chew him out if he never showed up on patrol. "I better get going then."

"Woah wait, not until you tell me about your nightmare." Plagg said, flying in front of Adrien's face.

"I'll tell you later. In fact, I'll probably have another tonight." Adrien said glumly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Plagg, claws out!" Adrien said loudly, ignoring Plagg's question. In all honesty, the real reason Adrien didn't want to talk about his nightmare was he didn't want to make it seem more real... He wanted to forget about it, but he was constantly reminded by his slight headache that had never faltered since that morning. He had even taken pain medicine, but it hadn't worked. Now that he was going on patrol, that meant the day was slowly drawing to close, which meant night would soon come...meaning the possibility of another nightmare.

 

Chat Noir finally made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug looking at him as he came to stand next to her. "What kept you?" She asked.

Feeling slightly guilty but still grumpy, he shrugged. "My kwami didn't want to cooperate." He lied, knowing it was himself that didn't want to cooperate.

She nodded, breaking eye contact. "We should get going."

Chat nodded as well. "We should." He said, not knowing what else to say. He felt slightly awkward. Ladybug didn't seem to be her lively, confident self. She seemed closed in.

Both superheros wasted no more time as they jumped off of the tower. Five minutes later they arrived where they had first encountered Blaze. The debris had been cleared out, and most buildings were under repair. "I just don't get it! Why would the akuma just disappear like this?" Ladybug said, groaning in frustration as they looked around the empty plaza. Chat Noir shrugged.

"Maybe he has some master plan, and he's preparing?" He suggested.

"But what master plan?"

"I don't know. You're the smart one." Chat said, smiling. He waited for a moment for her to smile back, but she didn't. She only glanced at him for a moment and walked away. Were her cheeks red? Or was that the setting sun? Feeling even more awkward he followed after Ladybug. She looked around the plaza, stopping and crouching down. On the hard ground was a large scorch mark, looking as though burning wood had crashed down. Which it had. "Should we split up?" Chat asked. Ladybug jumped slightly at his voice and looked up, avoiding his eyes. 

"Uh, sure." She hastily replied, standing up. "I'll go...left." With one last quick look at Chat, she ran left and swung away. Chat, staring at where she had vanished behind a building, was thoroughly confused. What was wrong with her? He sighed and turned, making his way to the right.

Half of an hour passed, and Chat was back in the plaza, sitting on the ground as he waited for Ladybug. He hadn't seen any sign that Imperiumal had even existed. The only thing he did do was stop to help a construction crew get rid of burnt wood by using his cataclysm. Afterwards he had waited in an alleyway while Plagg ate before transforming back into Chat Noir. He sighed and looked back down at the scorch mark, thinking back to their first encounter with the akuma. He had seem so easy... How did he change into Imperiumal? What was his real power? How could he control fire and the pendulum? It wasn't illusions like Volpina. If it were, than the rubble of wood that fell on Ladybug would've disappeared. Is it possible for an akuma to have two powers? Is it possible for an akuma to be that powerful? His thoughts drifting, Chat started thinking about the man himself who was the akuma. He's been corrupted for eight days... usually it's no more than one, possibly even two. When Ladybug purifies the akuma, will the man be okay? He wouldn't remember the time he spent as Imperiumal. Who is the akuma, anyways? What made him turn...?

"I'm back." Ladybug said rather quietly, but it still pulled Chat away from his thoughts.

Chat looked up at Ladybug, smiling even though he felt extremely troubled. She looked just as concerned. "I didn't find anything."

"I didn't either."

They stayed silent for a while, until Ladybug sat down next to Chat. Silently he noticed how she was farther away than normal. "Ladybug, I've been thinking...thinking about the akuma." He said after another moment of silence.

Ladybug sighed. "Me too."

Chat glanced at her. She didn't glance back. "Well, not the akuma exactly. I've been thinking about the man behind the akuma. It makes me wonder who he is, and how he got corrupted." He paused in case she wanted to intervene, but she stayed silent, staring out into nowhere. "I mean we've always captured the akuma in a day! When we catch Imperiumal-"

"If we catch Imperiumal." Ladybug interrupted, looking at Chat. When their eyes met a flash of embarrassment crossed her face, and she looked away again.

"...If we catch Imperiumal... He won't remember anything that's happened in the past eight days. Maybe he's been akumatized even longer than that." Chat said, continuing on with scattered glances at his lady. He wasn't even sure if she was listening.

She just nodded and stood. "You're right. Which means we need to capture or uh...save, or... purify-" She cleared her throat before continuing. "Him as soon as we can." She finished, her voice absent of any confidence.

"Ladybug, are you okay?" Chat asked, knowing he wouldn't get a real answer out of her.

"I'm fine."

Well, it was worth a shot. "Okay... but if you need help with anything you can always talk to me."

She nodded again. "I know, Chat." Again she paused, creating an awkward atmosphere. "I'll see you tomorrow for patrol." She said hastily before swinging away. She didn't even wave.

Feeling let down and even slightly offended, Chat stood and walked slowly towards his prison of a home. He stopped, looking out towards Marinette's bakery. They had decided on another visit. Feeling suddenly excited and elevated, he took off on a sprint towards her home, vaulting himself onto a rooftop with his baton.


	13. His Princess

Chat stopped again on the roof across the street from Marinette's, and just as he had hoped, she was standing out on her balcony. She was leaning against the railing, looking around with a hopeful expression. Smiling to himself, a random thought popped into Chat's head. She looks like a princess waiting at her tower. Huh...princess. Smiling even more, Chat made his way around the balcony onto the roof behind Marinette. He was about to jump down and scare her, when she turned around herself, hands on hips.

"You're not as quiet as you think, Chat." She said, smiling.

Chat laughed and jumped down into the light, bowing low. "Sorry I'm late, princess."

"Princess?" Marinette repeated.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Chat said, pretending to look distressed. "Purrincess. Is that better?" Marinette laughed lightly, making Chat's heart flutter as he straightened up and leaned against the railing next to her.

The evening passed by way too quickly. They had watched the sunset together, and Chat had even dared to put his arm around her. She didn't protest. Instead, she had laid her head on his shoulder. It was perfect, but now it was over. Chat landed in his room, sighing as he closed his eyes and called off the transformation. A bright green flash later, Adrien was laying on his bed, smiling as he gazed up at the ceiling. Plagg flew above his face, a stern look on his face that almost reminded Adrien of his father.

"You said we'd talk later. It's later. So now we'll talk." He said firmly.

Adrien glared at Plagg, groaning and laying onto his side. "I'm too tired."

"Are you kidding?" Plagg said, exasperated. "Adrien you've never acted this way before! Just tell me about your nightmare. That's all. That's all I want to know."

Adrien slowly sat up, still glaring at Plagg. He sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you." And with great reluctance, he told Plagg about his nightmare, feeling uncomfortable and uneasy as he told him about how real it seemed. As he talked his emotions changed from frustrated to concerned and even afraid. He knew without a doubt that he would be having another nightmare again tonight. Plagg listened quietly, staying silent for a minute after Adrien was done.

"I don't know what to tell you, kid." Plagg finally said, looking troubled. "But I don't think it actually happened. I've never heard of that ever happening before."

"Me neither."

"And it really felt real?" Plagg asked.

Adrien nodded. "I had a horrible headache afterwards, and I saw spots in my eyes... You know, like I had just been staring into a bright light. Which, in my dream, I had."

"Well, it was probably just a normal nightmare. You can get headaches, you know." Plagg said.

Adrien didn't feel convinced. "But do you think they're going to continue?"

Plagg shook his head. "No. I think you'll be fine."

"Can I stay up just for a bit longer...?"

"No." Plagg said firmly. "You need to sleep. Who knows when Imperiumal will show up again. Besides, you'll keep me up if you stay up."

Adrien wanted to argue more, but Plagg had already flown to his desk and was opening a can of Camembert.

 

Even with the bright light blinding him, Adrien knew he was back in that cage. His head was already throbbing, the bright light painfully making his eyes ache. He was laying down, and he instantly felt an instinct to fight. Dim the light! Let me see! His head screamed, and the light of the pendulum obeyed. It flickered like it had before. Quickly, Adrien got to his feet, feeling extremely lightheaded as the light continued to flicker. Suddenly Imperiumal came into view. He was standing outside of the cage, his arms folded. He was watching Adrien intently, looking intrigued. Adrien couldn't help but feel like a caged animal in a zoo. The light threatened to come back into view, but Adrien fought it. Stay away! Stay away! Imperiumal continued to watch with interest, a hint of a smile creeping at his lips.

"Very good, Adrien. You're getting stronger." He raised and hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly the light shone brighter than before. The pain in Adrien's head doubled. He cried out, his knees becoming weak as he crumbled to the ground. A soft whooshing sound was heard, and suddenly Adrien felt a hand grip his hair, pulling his head back. "But don't think you're suffering ends here. The pain won't cease until you give in." Imperiumal whispered into his ear, the hand letting go of his hair. Instantly Adrien crumpled to the ground, panting as his head continued to spin in pain.

He didn't quite understand what Imperiumal meant in all of this, but he knew one thing for sure. He wasn't going to give up.

 

Adrien didn't want to open his eyes. He lay in his bed, groaning in pain. His whole body ached, but his head hurt the most.

"So... are you gonna go to school?" Plagg asked, and Adrien could tell he was by him. He still hadn't opened his eyes. "It's pretty late."

"Plagg, I had another one."

"Another nightmare?"

Now Adrien sat up, opening his eyes while holding his head in one hand. "Yeah." He responded weakly, wincing as his body seemed to pulse in pain. "I really think these dreams are actually happening. I wouldn't feel this way if it was just a normal dream!" He was starting to panic, but he couldn't express his fear without moving which caused more pain. So he stayed put while his fears bubbled inside.

"Adrien, calm down." Plagg said, holding out his tiny arms as if he were calming a ferocious beast. "You were moving around in your sleep. That's why you're sore."

Adrien wasn't convinced. "Then how do you explain my headache? It's worse than before!"

"You aren't getting enough sleep."

Adrien was getting frustrated. Why wouldn't Plagg accept the truth? These dreams were reality! "I am getting enough sleep!" He shouted, making a move to get out of bed. He instantly winced in pain and leaned back against his headrest.

"Well, you've gotta go to school!" Plagg said, now sounding worried.

Adrien sighed, slowly sitting back up and getting out of bed. "You're right. My headache will go away, right?" He asked, smiling feebly even though he knew it was a lie.

Plagg nodded slightly, looking at Adrien with more concern than Adrien had ever seen before. "Take it easy today, okay?"

"I don't think I have a choice." Adrien replied, grimacing with each step he took.


	14. Dreams Aren't Reality

School was rough. Adrien could barely focus, and constantly ignoring Nino's "are you okay's?" made it even worse. Alya had also tried getting information out of him, but he had just replied with "I'm fine." Marinette didn't say anything. She just looked at him with concern and even a bit of curiosity. The day had dragged on, Adrien struggling to stay awake. His nightmare had seemed more of a work out than rest, but he knew that if he fell asleep he would have another confusing battle with that merciless light. When school had ended, his body wasn't aching and his headache wasn't as bad, but he could still feel it pulsing in pain.

However, something else concerning happened later that evening. Adrien had just transformed into Chat Noir for patrol when he got a message from Ladybug. "Chat, we aren't going to meet tonight for patrol. I doubt we'll find anything." It was short and simple, but Chat couldn't help but question her intentions. Was she cancelling because she was trying to avoid him? Did she cancel because she was concerned about him? Whatever the reason was, all Chat could think of now was going to see Marinette. Maybe she would listen to his reasoning about his nightmares.

With a new goal in mind, Chat spun his baton and leapt out into the night, arriving shortly after on Marinette's balcony. He walked over and tapped on the trapdoor, stepping back and smiling as Marinette popped her head out. She smiled back. "You're here early." She said. The sunset hadn't even started yet.

Chat offered a hand and pulled her out onto the balcony. "I couldn't wait a second longer." He said with a smile. "And Ladybug canceled patrol." He added, knowing she was about to ask about it.

"Canceled?" Marinette repeated.

"Yeah. Don't ask me why. I don't know." The two of them grabbed two chairs and placed them directly by each other near the railing. Marinette quickly stood after a second of sitting down.

"I'm gonna grab some blankets. Want some treats? Mom and dad made extra down at the bakery today." She said.

"I'm not going to make you work for me, princess." He said, standing up as well.

Marinette rolled her eyes playfully. "I guess that's fine. My parents are out on a short business trip, so you can come on in." She led the way to the trap door, and Chat opened it, letting Marinette in first. He then climbed in. He glanced around her room, doing a double take when he thought he saw a pink flash, but he didn't have time to question Marinette. She was already starting down the stairs. He hurried after her.

He had already been in Marinette's bakery before, and it was just as warm and welcoming as it had always been. "Want a cinnamon roll?" Marinette asked, walking behind the counter.

Chat's face lit up, and he smiled. "Of course! I could never turn down an offer like that!"

Marinette laughed and got two napkins. She reached down and placed two perfect cinnamon rolls onto two separate napkins. Chat walked to the counter and took the offered pastry. "Why thank you my lady." He paused, confused by why Marinette was looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

"My lady?" Marinette repeated, her cheeks bright red.

"Oh! Marinette, sorry, I...uh...sorry." He said, quite flustered. He had been feeling more attached to Marinette than Ladybug lately, and that simple mistake was living proof.

Marinette smiled and laughed softly. "Chat, it's fine. I'm flattered, really." She said, picking up her own cinnamon roll. She walked to the stairs and made her way back to her room. With red cheeks just as bright as Marinette's, Chat followed behind her, taking a bite from the warm pastry.

After a minute or so they were both snuggled in their chairs, blankets wrapped around them as they ate their cinnamon rolls and watched the sunset. Chat sighed, knowing he had to bring the subject of his nightmares to the conversation soon, but he didn't want to ruin the happy silence just yet.

Once the sky became dark Chat had finished his pastry, and he knew it was time to tell Marinette about his nightmares. "Marinette..." He began, looking over at her. She had let her hair down, and he couldn't help but admire her beauty as the light of her balcony shone on her face.

"Hm?" She had just took another bite from her cinnamon roll.

"I...need to talk to you for a second."

She looked over at him, swallowing the bite she had taken. "What is it?"

Chat sighed before continuing on. "It's about, um... nightmares."

Instantly Marinette looked concern, and he could tell he had her full attention. "Like that one time you fell asleep because you thought about the pendulum?" She asked, a bit of guilt washing over her face.

He nodded. "Yeah...Remember how I said I had strange dreams every time I fell asleep?"

She nodded.

"Well, I thought they were done, because I thought about the pendulum and didn't fall asleep. I was right but only partially. I didn't have a nightmare that night, but then the next I had one and the night after that as well." He said.

Marinette still looked concerned, as if she knew something worse was coming. "But they're just dreams, right?"

"Yeah, they are... but they don't feel that way. They feel real."

Marinette stayed silent. Chat hoped she didn't think he was going insane.

"The thing is, in my dreams, I always wake up in a cage. Every time I open my eyes, I'm blinded by that same light that came from Imperiumal's pendulum. It blinds me, and it makes my head throb. But that's not what worries me. Whenever I wake up from these dreams, I still have that horrible headache! I'm sore, as if I've been fighting for hours on end. It's a miracle I can even clamber out of bed." He sighed again after he finished his explanation, waiting for Marinette to answer. She looked bewildered, but more worried and concerned.

"Chat, I...don't know what to say." She said quietly.

"But don't you think these dreams are more than just a coincidence? They feel real! They are real! They happen every night! I don't know how, but Imperiumal somehow...transports me into that cage and I fight that light and-"

"Chat, listen to yourself!" Marinette cut over his rant, reaching out and lightly taking his hands in her own. "Transporting you? How could he? He's been gone for a week."

Chat wanted to feel reassured, he wanted to believe Imperiumal was gone, but the nightmares had created a maddening fear that not only was Imperiumal still out there, but he was inside his dreams; inside his mind, poisoning him like some sick virus.

"Look...Ladybug canceled patrol tonight, right? So she must think Imperiumal's gone too. In fact, the city's mostly repaired, and the news have forgotten about the fire breathing akuma. They've all accepted the fact that he's not coming back." Marinette said.

"But what about the man?"

"The man?"

Chat looked into Marinette's eyes, surprised that she didn't know what he was talking about. "Imperiumal's an akuma. He's someone akumatized, so what about them? They're just...gone?"

Marinette's eyes widened slightly and she looked down, still holding hands with him. "I guess so..." She said quietly. She looked back at Chat. "I hope you don't take any blame in this." She paused, waiting for an answer. Chat stayed quiet, averting his eyes, so she continued. "You know...This is Ladybug's fault too. She has to carry some blame in all of this."

Chat looked up into her eyes, startled by the sudden claim. "You can't blame Ladybug. She got hurt!"

"And who's fault was that?"

"Imperiumal's..." Chat said. "Then why were you blaming Ladybug?"

Marinette sighed. "I just don't want you to beat yourself up over something you didn't cause."

"But I chased after him." He said, knowing that was foolish of him to do.

Marinette smiled. "You're a superhero. Of course you chased after him! You wouldn't hold the title of guardian if you didn't."

Now Chat smiled. He couldn't help it. Marinette always had a positive atmosphere around her. "Thanks, princess." He said, squeezing her hand gently.

"No problem, Chaton." She said, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder, leaving Chat stunned. After a short moment of fireworks going off in his stomach, he smiled as well and leaned his head on hers, wrapping his arm around her.


	15. The Dusty Cage

Adrien kept his eyes closed, already feeling the presence of the cage around him. He didn't want to open his eyes, knowing all too well that when he did the light would be there and another useless battle would commence. After a while, Adrien finally opened his eyes, expecting to be blinded by the light. There was nothing. There was only darkness. 

Adrien slowly stood, looking around. He walked forward, arms outstretched, his hands colliding with the cold thick bars. He was still in the cage. He waited silently, listening for any sound of Imperiumal, but no sound came. Confused, Adrien felt his hand for his ring, but there was nothing there as well.

"Imperiumal?" Adrien called out into the black, waiting for a response. However, the air stayed silent around him. "Plagg?" He waited. Again, there was only silence. Even more bewildered, Adrien reached out for the bars again. Right when his finger touched the cold bars, a bright flash surrounded him, and from the light Adrien saw the bars crumple into dust similar to his cataclysm. He gasped and pulled his hand away, staring at the pile of dust on the ground just as more dust landed on him from the bars above that had been there before.

Adrien instantly expected to be plunged into darkness again, but the very opposite happened. A dim light seemed to come out of him, letting him see the black floor below him. He looked down at himself, surprised to find that he was glowing. There was a golden outline around him.

"What the..." He muttered, looking at himself. He then looked up, walking forward. He stepped over the small pile of dust and continued to walk.

"I-I was distracted!" Imperiumal shouted behind Adrien. Adrien spun around, not as surprised as he thought he would be to see Imperiumal standing almost ten feet away. He was glowing with an indigo light just as Adrien was glowing golden. "I'm becoming too involved." He said, more to himself than to Adrien. He seemed disheveled.

"Where's the pendulum? Where's the light?" Adrien asked, preparing himself for the excruciating pain and the light to appear any second. "And what happened to the cage?"

Imperiumal chuckled, instantly recomposing himself. "So many questions! Do you really think you are in the position to ask such bold things?"

Adrien glanced down to where his ring should be, but instead all he saw was his bare finger. Just like every dream. "I just want some answers. I don't see how they could do you any harm. This is just a dream."

"Just a dream? Why would you think something as idiotic as that? I expected more from the son of Gabriel Agreste." Imperiumal said, smiling as he said his father's name.

There was something strange about how Imperiumal said the famous name. It sounded like he held him in high respect. Adrien didn't think it was because Gabriel was an accomplished fashion designer. He also felt that it was sort of... random for Imperiumal to mention his father's name.

"What do you mean? Dreams aren't reality!" Adrien argued.

"Are they?"

"Stop messing with my head!" Adrien shouted, frustrated and panicked. Were they real? Were these dreams actually happening? Or were they just showing him his fears? "These are just dreams!" Despite his rising panic, he kept thinking about Marinette. He kept thinking about her comforting words, and he clung to them like some sort of life force. 

Imperiumal slowly shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Just a quick question for you, son." Imperiumal said, a mock expression of realization flashing across his face. "When's the last time you've seen your father?"

Adrien opened his mouth to respond, but he didn't know what to respond with. When was the last time he had seen his father? It seemed like ages ago... "I...don't know." He said quietly.

Imperiumal smiled and nodded knowingly. Was there something the akuma knew that Adrien didn't? "I figured as much. He's a busy man, but you've had the busy life yourself, saving Paris and all."

"From what? You disappeared." Adrien said, feeling extremely troubled.

Still with the smile on his face, Imperiumal ignored Adrien. "What about that girl? What was her name? Oh, right! Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

Adrien's heart skipped a beat. "Don't hurt her!" He burst out.

"So the kitten has a soft spot for his princess? What are you, a knight in shining leather?" Imperiumal laughed scornfully. "I pity you. Really I do, Chat Noir. Your kwami does too, you know."

"How do you know about Plagg?!" Adrien was getting angry. Despite his anger, he couldn't help but feel the uncontrollable fear growing larger by the second. 

"I know how he treats you! He hasn't told you anything about your miraculous." Adrien was about to retaliate, but Imperiumal quickly interrupted him. "Think about it, Adrien! He's only toyed with you, asking for what, Camembert? What are you, a serving boy?"

"No, I'm not! I-"

"And what about Marinette, huh? Your dear princess! She doesn't care for you. She despises you." Imperiumal was smiling maliciously now, his hands clasped behind his back.

Adrien didn't know what to say. Imperiumal was proclaiming all of his fears: that he was nothing. A disappointment. "Y-you don't know that."

"I don't?" Imperiumal repeated, scoffing. "You do. And if you have any ounce of strength in you, anything at all, I'll bite my tongue." Imperiumal then stuck out his tongue, biting it to demonstrate.

Adrien couldn't take it anymore. He ran at Imperiumal, desperate to do something. He wanted to make him feel what he was feeling. Pain.

Imperiumal swiftly slid to the side, dodging Adrien's fist. Adrien spun to face him, attempting to hit him again. Imperiumal again slid easily, laughing. "I said strength, Adrien! Not courage!" He said, again dodging.

"Stop! Just stop!" Adrien shouted, attempting to hit him again and again. Adrien lunged at Imperiumal, and the akuma slid away, spinning once, ending up behind him. Before Adrien could turn, he felt something hard whack him in the head. With his ears ringing, Adrien collapsed onto the ground, his vision blinking in and out. He caught a quick glimpse of Imperiumal and just a flash of the pendulum. His head throbbed painfully where the pendulum had hit him, and he groaned in pain.

"Pathetic." Imperiumal spat, kicking Adrien hard in the ribs. Adrien winced from the impact, squeezing his eyes shut from the pain. "Utterly pathetic." Adrien slowly opened his eyes, panting. He looked up just in time to see the bars of the cage slowly reform all around him, the dust particles slithering together before hardening into metal. Imperiumal stood outside of the cage, gazing at Adrien with great disappointment. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly the bright golden light blinded Adrien. His head started to throb, along with his aching ribs. He didn't have the strength to move.

"I don't know how Emilie raised such a weak little boy." Imperiumal said scornfully, and Adrien's heart jumped at the sound of his mother's name. 

"Y...You didn't know h-her." He said. 

"There's no question in why she left. She was disgusted by you. She was disgusted by the slimy worm she created." 

Combined with his physical pain, and the painful memory of his mother, he couldn't help but cry. He had always feared exactly what Imperiumal had said. He didn't know why his mother left, but he didn't want to believe it was because she hated him. He had to have someone who cared for him. He wanted to say Marinette loved him, but even then he wasn't so sure...


	16. The Point of an Identity

Two weeks slowly passed by, every night bringing another nightmare. They were all the same, with Adrien fighting the light before being hit with the pendulum or kicked by Imperiumal. Every morning he would wake up with the same awful headache, his body sore from the continuous torture brought by Imperiumal. To make matters worse, the akuma always spat down insults at Adrien, voicing all of his fears of neglect and disappointment. Before going to bed, Adrien would try every excuse to stay awake, but Plagg eventually won out in the end. He always made him go to sleep saying he needed it. But no matter what happened, one thing was for sure. Adrien was scared of going to bed. He was scared of those nightmares, scared of the pain he knew they would bring.

However, every evening at sunset Chat would visit Marinette on her balcony, going into the bakery when her parents weren't home, which only happened about twice. Chat only met with Ladybug for patrol once a week now. Like before, they never found anything and Ladybug continued to distance herself from Chat.

School was tiring, especially with the continuous nightmares. Everyone had seemed to have forgotten about Imperiumal, although some still mentioned him. The villain seemed like a past memory, a brief moment of useless history... but it wasn't the same for Adrien. He was slowly doing worse in class, Nino constantly poking him to keep him awake. The only bright side was that Marinette talked to him much more openly. She seemed to have changed.

Adrien had only seen his father once. He had gotten home from school, walking up the stairs to his room when he noticed the office door. It was open. Usually it was closed. He paused, waiting to see if something would happen. His father soon came out, grasping the handle to close the door. He looked incredibly worn out, even a bit disheveled. Adrien had never seen his father like that before. They had made eye contact before his father had looked away and slammed the door. It was all very peculiar, and it still haunted Adrien. What was wrong with his father?

"You're going to visit Marinette again, huh?" Plagg said, leaning on a giant piece of Camembert. Adrien nodded. Plagg sighed. "I'm ready whenever." He muttered.

Adrien smiled, walking to the window. "Plagg, claws out!" And just like that, Chat Noir jumped out of the Agreste mansion, looking towards the sun. The sunset had just begun. He quickly leaped away towards the bakery, excited like always to see Marinette.

 

She was already out on her balcony by the time Chat arrived. She smiled as he landed on the railing, sliding onto his feet. "For a second I was worried you wouldn't come." She said, walking up to him and leaning against the railing next to him.

"How could you ever lose faith in me, princess?" He said, pretending to be appalled. Marinette, catching the teasing tone, laughed lightly and playfully nudged him.

"I never lost faith, Chaton." She said, leaning her head on his shoulder. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her, playing with her hair that she had let down. A small feeling of guilt washed over him, and he did his best not to frown.

He had been feeling this guilt for the entire two weeks. It had grown like a disease. He wanted to show her his identity. He wanted to be with her as Adrien, especially in school. He wanted her to love both sides of him. However, he knew he wasn't supposed to and, there was always that nagging fear that she wouldn't accept him.

"You know... I've never grown tired of the sunset." Marinette said softly. "Honestly, I look forward to our visits."

Chat smiled. "Me too." He said, debating with the guilt inside him. He wanted to show her. He wanted to so badly... "Marinette...?" He said after a moment of silence.

"Hm?"

"I... need to ask you something." He slowly pulled away from her, turning to look into her eyes. They took each other's hands. As Marinette looked into his eyes, he saw a burning curiosity. He couldn't help but to relate.

"What is it?" She asked.

Chat took a soft breath before continuing. "I need to show you something, but I don't know if you'll like it..." Instantly Chat could tell she knew what he was talking about. He didn't know if he should continue or not.

"Chat Noir, you know you're aren't supposed to..."

"I know." Chat quickly cut Marinette off, not wanting to continue the internal battle. "I know... it's just, I don't want to live this lie. I want to be with you more, and I know Ladybug will probably chew me out... and I know this could be putting you in danger..."

"You don't need to worry about that." Marinette said with a smile.

Chat smiled back briefly. "...Are you curious?"

Marinette's eyes showed a flash of guilt, and she nodded. "I've always been curious. Everyone is. But if you don't want to show me, it's ok. Just... I hope you know that... that whoever is under that mask, I'll care for them. Just like how I care for you."

Chat nodded, deciding to show her. This was it... just three words. Oh just get on with it already!"Plagg, claws in." He said quietly, closing his eyes as the bright green flash appeared and disappeared in just a few seconds. He heard Marinette gasp, and he felt her hands pull away from his. He opened his eyes.

Marinette's hands were over her mouth, and her eyes were wide in shock. "A-Adrien?" She choked on the name, her hands falling away from her mouth. "Adrien?"

He smiled, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh... surprise...?" He said awkwardly.

"Kid, are you crazy?!" Plagg suddenly blurted out. Adrien looked over at Plagg, groaning internally.

"Sorry Plagg..." He said quietly. "But I couldn't continue that lie."

Plagg slowly shook his head, flying onto the table silently. Adrien looked back at Marinette, and she looked back at him.

"I-I have something to s-show you t-too." She said, taking a step back. "Tikki, spots on!" Adrien stared in disbelief. A pink light spiraled up Marinette, revealing Ladybug seconds later.

"L-Ladybug?!" Adrien said, flabbergasted. All this time... "Ladybug!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms around her. He hugged her tightly, smiling brightly. It all made sense! Those pink flashes were her kwami! She distanced herself during patrols because she felt guilty about living a lie. But now it was over. He felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"I'm sorry I kept this from you." She said.

"I'm sorry too." He said, both of them pulling away from the embrace.

"Tikki, spots off." Again the pink flash appeared, and there stood Marinette, as beautiful as ever. The pink kwami flew out of the flash and hovered near her shoulder, sighing. "You did tell me you were going to reveal your identity... I didn't think you'd actually pull through with it." The kwami said, hands on its tiny hips. Plagg flew up near Adrien's shoulder.

"You two were acting like idiots. I can't believe you didn't figure it out before this." Plagg said, shaking his head.

"Plagg!" Adrien exclaimed.

"Tikki... can you give us some privacy?" Marinette asked. Her cheeks were bright pink. The small kwami laughed lightly before flying down into Marinette's room, becoming intangible as she flew through the trap door. Plagg instantly followed.

"I...Uh, sorry about that...l." Adrien stammered nervously.

Marinette laughed softly. "It's fine... she was teasing me a lot before you came." They stood in silence, the slowly dropping sun casting bright colors onto the balcony.

"Are you disappointed?" Adrien asked, breaking the silence.

Marinette's eyes widened and she immediately responded. "What? No! Of course not! Adrien, I actually had the biggest crush on you before you showed up as Chat Noir." She said, blushing.

Adrien smiled. "Really?"

"Don't go smiling about it! It's embarrassing enough as it is." She said. "You knew already anyways!" 

Adrien chuckled. "Sorry, princess." He lightly took her hands again.

She smiled. "It's okay, Chaton." She leaned up and lightly kissed him on the lips, and immediately fireworks exploded inside of him. She pulled away far too soon. "Remember what I said before?"

"Of course. And I hope you know this." He leaned in closer to her. "I love you, my lady." And with that, they kissed, the sun sliding down past the horizon as if to give them some privacy. However, the moon wasn't as generous and neither were two small kwamis.


	17. Distraction

"You humans disgust me." Plagg said, sitting on top of Adrien's desk with his tiny arms folded across his chest.

Adrien didn't even bother sitting up to look at his kwami. He was sprawled out on his bed, gazing at the ceiling while he registered everything that had happened that evening with Marinette... or... Ladybug. "Oh please."

Plagg grunted. "I don't know about you, but I don't see how you two can kiss and hug like that." He shuddered. "Utterly disgusting."

As Plagg continued to eat his ever present cheese, Adrien couldn't help but think about the worst dream he had had in the past two weeks. "Utterly Pathetic." Imperiumal had said, kicking him to emphasize his point. It may have been his imagination, but Adrien could still feel the pain in his chest even after all of this time.

Silence fell over the two, but it was only for a moment. "Imperiumal's still out there." Plagg said. Adrien sat up, noticing the empty platter next to Plagg.

"Then why hasn't he shown himself?" Adrien fired back.

"He has."

"Where?"

"In your dreams."

Adrien stared at Plagg, not wanting to accept it. He had already established the fact in his mind that Imperiumal was gone. "Did you eat some moldy cheese, Plagg?"

"No."

"Then why in the world would you-"

"Adrien, this is what I was worried about. You being in love with Marinette has... distracted you from the real problem. Imperiumal is still out there! He's in your head." Plagg said, completely serious, maybe even slightly angry.

Adrien continued to stare at his black kwami, not wanting to believe anything Plagg was saying. "Plagg, they're just dreams. They aren't real." He smiled. "The cities clean, everything's been repaired, and all I have to deal with are simple nightmares. That's all."

"Then why do you wake up groaning and moaning every morning? Why do your covers end up on the floor? Why do your dreams seem so vivid?"

"Because...they're... well, who cares if my dreams are vivid?" Adrien threw his hands up in the air, laying back down onto his bed.

"Don't try to hide your pain, Adrien! You could barely stay awake all day until you met up with Marinette!" Plagg flew above Adrien, but Adrien rolled onto his side to avoid eye contact.

"I'm tired." He muttered.

Plagg sighed. "Listen, if you have another nightmare tonight, I hope you'll realize that this isn't something to just discard. You were worried about them earlier, so why are you like this now? I hope you've noticed how much your attitude changes around Marinette."

Adrien continued to ignore his kwami, trying his best to shut away his fears and concerns. He had just had the best evening of his life. He didn't want to ruin it. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"All I'm saying is... don't get too distracted. Be on your guard, and watch your thoughts." Plagg said. Adrien heard a soft whoosh sound, knowing Plagg had just flown away. Adrien slowly crawled into his covers, pulling them over him. He sighed, thinking about Marinette. Marinette...she's Ladybug... it was still insane to think about.

 

Right when Adrien opened his eyes only to be blinded by the light, he began to fight. Get away! Let me see! He had experienced freedom before, and he greatly wanted that again. He wanted to glow; he wanted to discover what may be lurking out in the darkness. Hopefully it was something that could defeat Imperiumal.

Suddenly the light vanished, granting Adrien his vision. He quickly stood up, reaching out to touch the cage bars.

"Hold on Adrien." Imperiumal said behind him. Adrien slowly turned, lowering his hand. "Don't make any hasty decisions." He was standing outside of the cage, folding his arms in a business like way.

"I don't think hasty is the right word." Adrien said hesitantly, wondering what Imperiumal was going to say next.

Imperiumal smiled and walked towards the bars, not breaking stride. His body turned strangely transparent, and he walked directly through the bars to where he now stood in the cage. A faint whooshing sound was heard, and Adrien instantly recognized it from a dream he had had earlier. "Yes, you're right. I think a more... appropriate term would be... desperate."

"I'm not desperate." Adrien said instantly.

"Are you sure? We are in your mind after all. I can sense your desperation, your... fear." By the end of this statement, Imperiumal was whispering, his mouth turned into a malevolent smile.

Adrien couldn't help but agree with Imperiumal. He did feel desperation. He did feel fear. Even though his evening with Marinette was great, there was no stopping the monster that was growing inside him. He wanted the dreams to end. He was tired of the blinding light and the ever present headache it gave him. He was tired of Imperiumal and all of the unanswered questions.

"You want these dreams to end. You want answers." Imperiumal said, echoing Adrien's thoughts. "But there's something else as well. You're scared of pain."

Adrien's insides twisted at this. His heart raced, and he thought back to those unbearable two weeks, filled with torture. "You don't know me!"

"As I said before, we're in your mind. So naturally, I do." Without warning, Imperiumal suddenly lunged at Adrien, his pendulum appearing out of what seemed nowhere. Adrien yelped in surprise and leaped to the side, accidentally ramming his shoulder into the bars. Imperiumal cackled and lunged again, swinging his pendulum. Adrien quickly ducked under his swinging arm and sprinted to the other side of the cage, gripping a bar with his hand, hoping it would turn the rest of the cage to dust. It didn't.

"Wait, why didn't it work?" Adrien said to himself, turning just in time to dodge Imperiumal's pendulum.

"Why?" Imperiumal repeated, smiling as he swung his pendulum again and again. "The ever present question! Why!" He laughed joyfully as Adrien continued to scramble away, his eyes wide in fear. He was completely helpless without his miraculous.

Adrien turned his back on Imperiumal, attempting to run to the other side of the cage, but he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. He winced and turned to see what hit him when Imperiumal swiftly tripped him, swiping his leg underneath Adrien's. Adrien tumbled to the ground, trying to scramble away. Imperiumal cackled and kicked Adrien in the ribs. "This is your answer, Adrien Agreste!" Imperiumal proclaimed, his arms spread out wide as if he were addressing a large crowd. "This is your so wanted answer!" He said, kicking Adrien again. "You're worthless! You're weak!" Gasping for air, Adrien weakly got to his knees, slowly standing as he attempted to land a fist at the akuma. Imperiumal quickly snatched Adrien's wrist, twisting it the wrong way as he flung him to the ground. Victorious, Imperiumal raised his foot to kick Adrien.

"Stop! Just, please stop!" He cried out, holding a hand up in the air as if that would stop Imperiumal.

Imperiumal grinned and lowered himself down into a squat to stare Adrien dead in the eyes. "And why should I do that?" He said quietly, as if he was reasoning with a spoiled toddler.

"I want them to end! I want these dreams to end!"

Imperiumal slowly shook his head. "They'll end when I win." He said, straightening up to his full height.

Adrien didn't understand. Didn't he just win? Adrien was completely helpless! "But you are! Every dream! Every night! They're the same! Make them stop!"

Imperiumal sighed, holding out his pendulum. Instantly the golden light blinded Adrien, and he rolled onto his back, groaning. "Insolent fool." Imperiumal said quietly. "I thought you would've learned by now. There's more to these dreams then you know. More that you fail to realize."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since Adrien told Plagg about his nightmares, Plagg always said they weren't real, and that he was fine. Why do you think Plagg is worried about Imperiumal now?


	18. The Restless Night

Adrien woke up, shaking. He was breathing hard, and he was sweating. He looked towards his windows. It was still dark outside, which meant it was still night. "Plagg..."

Adrien's kwami grunted and mumbled some inaudible words, before flying near Adrien, yawning. "What?"

Still trembling, Adrien slid out of his covers, ignoring the aches in his body and head. "Plagg... claws out." He said quietly.

"Wait kid! What are you-" The bright green flash interrupted Plagg, lighting the room for a second before it all dimmed and vanished.

Instantly Chat Noir ran to his window and opened it, jumping out into the freezing night air. He dashed through the city, trying to contain his emotions. He was terrified. He didn't want to fall back asleep and, he didn't want to see Imperiumal ever again. He knew that he had to stop these dreams, and there was only one way to do that. Stay awake for the entire night.

Soon Chat landed on Marinette's balcony. He quietly crept to her trapdoor, slowly pulling on the handle. It didn't move. Biting his lip, he lightly knocked on the glass, waiting quietly. He sat there, his knees to his chest for just a few moments before knocking again, slightly harder. He waited again until he heard movement inside the room. He quickly got onto his knees, shivering from the nipping wind.

"Chat...? What are you doing here? It's one in the morning!" Marinette said in a hushed voice. She opened the trap door all of the way, stepping down to let Chat in. As soon as he climbed in, Marinette reached up and closed the trap door carefully, barely making a sound.

They sat there on Marinette's bed, Chat again clutching his knees to his chest. "Chat, are you okay? Why did you come?" She asked quietly as to not wake her parents.

He shook his head, holding onto his knees tighter as his hands started to tremble. "It was... a... dream..." He said in a whisper, looking over at Marinette. He didn't feel embarrassed... Just scared.

"A... dream?"

"Marinette, I can't take this anymore. Every night, I have a nightmare with a cage and... and Imperiumal. He tortures me, Marinette!" Marinette quickly quieted him down, worry clear in her eyes. His voice had started to rise, his hands shaking more. She lightly took one in her own, pulling Chat close. He obliged and they sat on the bed together, their arms around each other.

"It's okay, Chat." Marinette said quietly. "They're just dreams."

"No... no..." Chat said quietly, almost whimpering. He took a shuddering breath. "You don't understand. He hurts me, spitting insults left and right... I just can't take it anymore. I-I can't sleep." Chat knew Marinette would never understand. How could she? She wasn't the one experiencing these nightmares…

Marinette sighed and Chat buried his head into their embrace. She rubbed his back comfortingly. "You can stay here tonight it you want." She said quietly.

"Ok..." Chat said. After a moment longer of hugging, Marinette broke away and laid down inside of her covers. She lifted them up as Chat laid down next to her, still trembling slightly. They were facing each other. Marinette looked into Chat's eyes, and he was sure she saw uncontrollable fear in his own. "I'm sorry." He said after a while.

"For what?" She replied, smiling softly. She reached out and took his hand as they lay there, rubbing it comfortingly.

"I know I'm not supposed to be here. I know I'm a mess. You probably think I'm insane with these nightmares. But I... I can't..." He trailed away, trying with all of his will to stop his trembling hands.

"Chat, you're not a mess. Imperiumal caused all of this. But you're going to be okay. I'll be here for you, and you can come to me whenever you need to." She said.

Chat smiled weakly, starting to feel warm and calm as they lay in the covers together. After a while Marinette's tired eyes took over her and she closed them. Chat didn't dare close his eyes. Marinette soon became limp and her breathing became steady, so he let go of her hand and moved onto his back, staring at the ceiling. He placed his hands underneath his head, his thoughts empty. Minutes passed, and Marinette made a soft groan and moved closer to him. Chat smiled. She looked so innocent. He knew he didn't deserve her.

 

Chat didn't know how long he lay there in Marinette's room, but he knew one thing for sure. He couldn't stay the entire night. He slowly got up, pausing as Marinette groaned quietly from the sudden loss of warmth. Chat slowly crept to Marinette's trap door and opened it as carefully as he could, stealing one last glance at Marinette. She looked so peaceful... Chat couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. She wasn't having any nightmares with Imperiumal.

"Chat Noir...?" Chat turned his head around, startled by the small quiet voice that sounded behind him. It was Tikki. Marinette's kwami. 

"Sorry if I woke you." Chat said quietly.

Tikki looked at him with concern. "Is Plagg watching out for you?" 

Chat smiled. "He's doing his best, I guess." 

"...You watch out for him too, okay? He... He does care for you, and he's worried he might lose you." Tikki said solemnly. 

"Lose me...?" Chat repeated, confused. 

Tikki sighed. "He's had past experiences that he doesn't want to repeat. Just... be careful, and try not to become too annoyed with him." She smiled.

Chat slowly nodded, surprised by Tikki's words. "Ok... I will. Goodnight, Tikki." 

"Goodnight." 

Chat turned away and climbed out of the room, closing the trap door softly behind him. Pausing for a moment, he wondered about what Tikki said. However, the wind was making him cold, especially since he had just left Marinette's warm room, so he leapt away.

 

It didn't take long for him to get back into his room. "Plagg, claws in." He said. After the transformation finished, Plagg stopped his flight right in front of Adrien, glaring fiercely.

"A little warning next time!"

"Sorry Plagg. I just wanted to see Marinette." Adrien said. 

"But this is what I'm talking about, Adrien. She's distracting you! Keeping you awake."

Adrien glared at Plagg. "No, I made the decision to stay awake. Not her.”

"But she did influence your decision!" Plagg retorted, frowning. “She’s making your headache worse!”

"Quit blaming Marinette!"

Plagg scoffed. “Why? Because she’s your dear princess?” 

“Yes!”

Plagg’s eyes narrowed. “Then what would you do if she got hurt? If it was your fault?” 

“Then I would die! I would die for her!”

At this Plagg's eyes widened, and an expression of fear and recognition passed across his face. Was this because of those past experiences that Tikki told him about? "D-die?" Plagg repeated, his anger long gone. “You would die?”

Adrien suddenly became extremely curious about Plagg's past, but he shook the urge to ask. "Well, yeah...I… I love her. I would hate it if she got hurt because of me."

The two fell silent. After a moment, Adrien finally broke the quiet atmosphere. "Did you hear everything Tikki said?" He asked. 

Plagg sighed and broke eye contact. "...Of course I did." 

Adrien waited for Plagg to continue, but when he didn't, Adrien decided to prompt him. "Do you want to talk about-"

"No." Plagg quickly interrupted Adrien, his eyes becoming cold and hard. However, Adrien could tell that he was hurting inside. 

Again, silence fell over the two, and Adrien walked back to his bed. He laid down on it, knowing that he would have to sit the night out. He stared up at the ceiling, a curious question popping into his head. "Plagg... do you really think Imperiumal is still out there?" 

Silence filled the room as Plagg thought over Adrien's question. "Kid... I don't know what to believe. I just want to... You know what? Forget it." And with that, there was a thump in the wastebasket, and Adrien knew he wasn't going to get anything else out of his kwami.


	19. Control

Adrien slowly dragged himself into the classroom, rubbing his red eyes wearily. He had stayed awake the entire night, ignoring Plaggs fruitless attempts to have him fall asleep. He sighed heavily and dropped into his seat, his head plopping onto his desk. He kept his eyes open, still terrified of falling asleep. He could do this. He could defy Imperiumal just for a little longer.

"Dude...? Are you alright?" Nino said, tapping Adrien on his shoulder.

Adrien moaned in response. Nino didn't say anything else.

Marinette soon trotted in, taking her seat behind Adrien. "Hey Adrien, Nino." She said, acknowledging both of them. Alya hadn't arrived yet. "Adrien, are you okay?" She asked after a while, leaning forward.

Adrien slowly leaned up, yawning but keeping his eyes open. "Yeah, I'm fine." He said absentmindedly. "Just tired." He yawned again at the last word. Marinette, knowing that he had visited her last night, looked more worried than Nino.

"Did you stay awake all night or something?" Nino asked.

Marinette and Adrien glanced at each other. "No." He said. "I just got to bed late, and I had a rough night."

Nino nodded knowingly. "I know what that feels like. I think everyone's had at least one rough night in their life."

The door opened and Alya walked in, waving as she walked towards them. "Hey guys!" She said happily.

"Hey Alya." Marinette replied. She stood and Alya slid into her seat. Then Marinette sat back down.

Adrien yawned again and laid his head on his desk. His neck felt as if it were as thin as a toothpick, his brain heavy yet empty. His eyes were dry and droopy, and he was sure he had dark bags underneath them. He zoned out as his three friends talked with each other, feeling the heavyweight of sleep pressing down on his shoulders. He was about to fall asleep when the bell rang loudly, startling him as his head shot up. He moaned quietly and leaned back against his seat. He could feel Marinette's worried gaze on him.

After a short while Mrs. Bustier walked into the classroom, smiling brightly. "Good morning class." She started to call roll and Adrien's head slumped back against his seat. Marinette's face soon came into view as she leaned over him.

"You're not going to fall asleep, are you? Do you need me to keep you awake, sleepy kitty?" She whispered, smiling teasingly.

Adrien smiled back. "We'll see what happens." He whispered back.

Roll call didn't take long. They had done it for so long that most of the students had memorized the order so they knew when they were next. After the roll call Mrs. Bustier didn't wait a second before continuing with the lesson. Adrien did his best to pay attention, but halfway through he couldn't help putting his head down onto his desk. He continued to listen, trying to focus. However, despite his best efforts, his eyes drifted close, and he felt his mind begin to wander as sleep finally took him with its greedy hands.

 

Adrien knew what was going to happen before it even started. He knew the light was already shining brightly, he knew the cage was around him, and he knew Imperiumal was standing outside, ready to pounce.

"Are you going to fight, sleepy kitty?" Imperiumal said quietly. Hold on... Who had called him sleepy kitty before? "I must say, I don't think it was quite wise to stay awake all night long."

Adrien continued to lay on the ground, keeping his eyes closed. He didn't want to fight. He didn't want to argue. He just wanted to sleep... he just wanted to rest for a little bit. "Please be quiet." He mumbled.

"You aren't going to fight? Where's your strength?"

Adrien moaned. "Please be quiet." He repeated.

"Why?" Imperiumal fired back.

"...I don't want to do this right now. Please." He said, the last word only a breath. He was so exhausted... he could barely feel the pain. He was completely numb, his tired muscles turned to stone.

The air suddenly grew silent, until Imperiumal broke it. He cackled, crying out in joy. He sounded completely insane. "Yes! Yes! Oh how I've waited for this day!" Imperiumal screamed into the darkness. Adrien again heard that strange whooshing sound and Imperiumal was suddenly breathing into his ear. "Oh but you don't have to worry kitten." He whispered. "You'll notice a considerable change once you wake up."

"What do you-"

 

"Adrien?" Mrs. Bustier was standing over him, a look of concern etched into her face along with some frustration. "Are you alright?"

Adrien's eyes shot open. He sat up. "I don't feel good." He said.

Mrs. Bustier hesitated a moment before nodding and smiling. "I see. That's okay, Adrien. Go ahead and make your way to the nurse's office, unless you'd rather call home."

"I'll call home."

Mrs. Bustier nodded again. Adrien slid out of his seat and got up, looking over at Nino, Alya and Marinette. "See you guys around." He smiled.

Marinette looked extremely concerned, while Nino and Alya just looked completely confused. "Sure, dude." Nino said. Alya smiled and waved. Marinette stayed silent.

Adrien waved back and walked out of the classroom, leaving behind a confused class and one worried Marinette. He made his way out of the school, getting stopped by Plagg.

"You don't feel good?" Plagg said, his hands on his hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it means. I don't feel good." Adrien said, looking past his kwami at the Eiffel Tower. 

"Well duh. I'm asking how."

Adrien looked back at Plagg. "I'm tired. Now get back in my jacket before someone sees you."

Plagg looked slightly offended at this. "Fine." He mumbled before flying back into Adrien's white jacket, hiding himself from prying eyes. Adrien was about to make his way to the Eiffel Tower, when he hesitated.

"Actually..." He said to himself, smiling. "Plagg, claws out!"

"Wait, kid! You're out in public! What do you think-" Plagg was quickly interrupted as the transformation took place. Soon after Chat Noir stood where Adrien once had. His eyes panned the street in front of him and he spotted two teenage girls who were staring at him. He smiled and saluted them before extending his baton, firing himself into the air. He landed on the roof of a building. He looked back down at the girls. They were nowhere to be found. He shrugged and continued on his way towards the Eiffel Tower.

It didn't take long for him to get there. He climbed his way to the top and sat on the edge, taking out his baton and recording a message to Ladybug. "Meet me on the Eiffel Tower as soon as you are free." He pressed send then twirled his baton mindlessly. He stared out over the city. Now all he had to do was wait.


	20. The Return

"Hey Chat, I got your message." Ladybug said. It was around 4:00 p.m by the time she had made her way up the tower. She walked over and sat next to Chat Noir. "What's wrong? Do you really feel sick?"

Chat shook his head. "Nah. I feel fine. Great, actually." He paused. "I feel new."

"So you've sat up here all day?"

Chat smiled. "We need to go on a patrol."

Ladybug looked slightly confused. "Chat, you don't seem... normal. You sure there's nothing wrong?"

"We need to go on a patrol."

"Why?"

Chat stood. "Just trust me." He said.

Ladybug looked hesitant and confused, but she stood up anyways. "Okay."

Chat's smile widened and he jumped off of the tower. Ladybug followed. Once back on the ground, Chat led her a little ways out into the plaza.

"You know we're not going to find Imperiumal, right?" Ladybug said.

Chat simply nodded.

"He's been gone for-"

"Why my lady, lying does not suit you well." A chilling voice echoed behind them. Ladybug stopped dead in her tracks, frozen. Chat stopped as well, his face blank. They both turned around only to find Imperiumal standing up on top of one of the tiers of the Eiffel Tower. He had his pendulum out, slowly rocking it side to side. It was glowing golden. Everyone that was outside also froze, all of them staring up at the dark akuma.

"I-Imperiumal?!" Ladybug sputtered, her eyes wide and her mouth open in shock.

Imperiumal cackled. "It's been some time hasn't it!"

"Everyone, evacuate! Get out of here!" Ladybug shouted to the public, keeping her eyes on the akuma. Everyone suddenly burst into action, scattering and running out of the plaza.

"Look at your pitiful rats, scampering out of harm's way!" Imperiumal said loudly, cackling. He held his arms out like he was performing. "I've never seen such a beautiful sight."

"Chat, did you know he was coming back?!" Ladybug said, looking at her partner. Chat looked over at her, his face still blank.

He nodded.

"Of course he did!" Imperiumal said, leaping down from his high perch. He landed lightly, his pendulum still rocking. "He's known for quite some time. Too bad no one cared to listen to his pathetic whimpers and cries."

"Chat...?" Ladybug was still looking at Chat. He didn't look at her. "Did you really know?"

Chat stayed silent, staring at Imperiumal. Imperiumal smiled and held his pendulum out farther for him to see. Chat looked back into Ladybug's eyes and nodded again. "I knew. You didn't listen." He said. Emotionless.

Ladybug glanced at Imperiumal, than back at Chat. There was something going on. "I'm sorry Chat. I'm sorry I didn't listen." She said. "But we need to focus on this moment, right here, right now. We need to defeat him, once and for all." She smiled. "Can you help me?"

"Well, if we're all apologizing around here, I must say I need to apologize as well." Imperiumal said, taking slow steps towards Chat and Ladybug. "Ladybug, there's something you should know." He smiled maliciously, his pendulum still rocking. "Your partner...he's not the same. He won't fight me."

Ladybug glanced again at Chat, worried. "You're lying." She said, taking out her yo-yo and spinning. Chat stayed frozen. "Ready, Chat?" Chat nodded, finally taking out his baton. He spun it lazily. "Now!" Ladybug cried out, sprinting towards Imperiumal. Chat followed close behind. They came at both sides of Imperiumal, Ladybug firing her yo-yo. Imperiumal cackled and leaped up into the air, jumping over her yo-yo. He slid to the side as Ladybug continued to pursue him. "Chat!" Ladybug shouted.

Chat Noir had stopped, staring at the small fight before him. He looked at Ladybug. "He won't fight!" Imperiumal cried out. "He won't fight!" The akuma spun away from another attack, his pendulum somehow still rocking rhythmically.

"What do you mean?" Ladybug asked.

Imperiumal cackled again. "I get that question a lot." He mused. He lunged at Ladybug, swinging his glowing pendulum at her head. Ladybug yelped and ducked, sliding behind Imperiumal. She attempted to land a hit at Imperiumal when he leaped away.

"Chat! Get in here and help!" Ladybug yelled, dodging another attack.

"He won't!" Imperiumal cackled. He lunged at Ladybug, pretending to swing his pendulum. Right as Ladybug ducked, Imperiumal wrapped his other arm around her, locking her in place with surprising strength. He spun her around to look at Chat. "Look at him. Pathetic, don't you think?" He whispered maliciously into her ear. She tried to break away but hesitated. Something had caught her attention. She stared at Chat. His familiar eyes weren't green. They were... golden.

Ladybug stared into Chat's blank golden eyes. Had they always been golden? No... they were only golden when he had woken up in class... right as he had started to act strange. "Let go of me!" Ladybug shouted.

Imperiumal cackled once again. "Now now, my lady... there's no need to struggle." He said quietly, wrapping his pendulum around his wrist. Now with his free hand, he began to reach up to Ladybug's earring.

"Ladybug!" Chat suddenly shouted, sprinting at Imperiumal.

"What?!" Imperiumal said, eyes widening. He quickly fumbled to grab his pendulum to hang it in Chat's line of sight when Chat collided with him. Ladybug leaped away as Chat shoved Imperiumal to the ground, falling with him. "Stop it, you idiotic cat!" Imperiumal shouted, shoving Chat off of him. Chat rolled a few feet away, groaning. Ladybug instantly ran to him, kneeling down.

"Chat...?" She said hesitantly. Chat slowly sat up, holding himself up with one hand while his other grasped his head. He opened his eyes. They were green.

"No!" Imperiumal screamed, standing up and letting his pendulum dangle. It wasn't shining. "You're mine!"

"Ladybug?" Chat said weakly, his eyes wide with confusion and fear. "Ladybug what's going on?" He suddenly cried out in pain and closed his eyes, falling back down. Ladybug caught him, her own eyes filled with their own fear. Chat's eyes opened again, this time golden. Then they turned back to green. Ladybug watched in fear as Chat's eyes switched between golden and green like a light switch.

Imperiumal laughed behind them. "He's still not strong enough." He said, recomposing himself. His pendulum was shining once more.

Ladybug slowly let Chat's head down onto the ground as she got to her feet. "Lucky Charm!" She called out, throwing up her yo-yo. What fell into her hand was a bell. It was golden, unlike all of her other charms that were red with black spots. She looked back at Chat, who's was holding his head in pain as his eyes continued to change between the two colors. The bell was the exact same bell that was on Chat's costume.

"My lady..." Imperiumal said, bowing low. "I'm sorry to say but your partner is out of commission. Step aside, and let me attend to him." He said with a soft voice. His pendulum was flashing.

"Never." She said firmly, clutching the bell in her hand. There was something she could do with this... right? She glanced behind at Chat, who had surprisingly got to his feet. He still had his hand on his head, and his eyes were still flashing between the two colors.

"Fine. But I hope you know, dear lady, that you can't keep your pet from me forever!" Imperiumal instantly lunged at Ladybug, and Ladybug spun her yo-yo like a shield. Imperiumal was about to reach out for Ladybug when he suddenly sidestepped her yo-yo. He was behind her in the blink of an eye. He swung his pendulum into her back, making her stumble forward. Imperiumal then swiped his leg underneath hers, tripping her.

"No!" Ladybug cried out, looking up. But it was too late. Chat looked slightly dazed as his eyes continued to switch between the two colors.

"It's time we finish this, Chat Noir... privately." Imperiumal said to Chat, smiling malevolently. Then, with one fluid movement, Imperiumal struck like a snake, swinging his pendulum directly into Chat's head. Chat instantly crumpled, his eyes shutting as he fell to the ground. Imperiumal looked over at Ladybug, his smile still on his face as he suddenly fell to the ground as well. They were both unconscious.


	21. The Final Dream

Chat slowly opened his eyes, lifting his head as the golden light blinded him like always. He was in another dream. This again? Chat's head plopped back onto the ground as he sighed. It was no use. It was pointless.

"Chat?! Chat!" Ladybug suddenly screamed, but it was quiet. It echoed all around, as if he was in a large pot, and she was yelling down into it. Chat instantly got onto his feet, bewildered. "Chat! Open your eyes! Please!" Ladybug continued to shout. She sounded anguished... hurt. "Wake up!" Chat couldn't bear to listen to her anymore. He needed to see her again. But he couldn't with this light... Let me see! Please! Just one last time get this light away from me! His head throbbed painfully and it felt like his headache doubled. He winced but he kept fighting. He kept fighting for Ladybug... for Marinette.

"It's pointless!" Imperiumal suddenly yelled, cackling as he spoke. "I already have you! You're mine! Mine!"

Chat gritted his teeth. "No!" He screamed. Let me see! Let...me... SEE! He fought as hard as he could. He had to see Ladybug again... this couldn't be it! Imperiumal laughed again and Chat instantly lunged towards the sound, ramming into the bars of the cage. Instantly they dissolved into dust, but Chat still couldn't see. The light wasn't flickering.

"Wait, no! No, stop!" Imperiumal shouted, sounding slightly panicked. Chat's head turned to the sound of his voice and he lunged at him, swinging his fists blindly.

Get this light away! Chat screamed in his mind, following Imperiumal's voice and laughs. However, no matter how hard he tried, he never landed a hit. Even worse, the pain in his head was becoming more and more intense. He was feeling lightheaded, his legs weak. I won't give up! Just dim this light! Anything! Suddenly, the light flickered, just once. Chat froze in place, heart pounding. The light continued to flicker, and he could see Imperiumal staring at him, dumbfounded.

"No! It won't end this way!" Imperiumal shouted. The light suddenly came back, brighter than before. Chat cried out in pain and his knees buckled. He fell onto the ground, his whole body shaking violently. The pain was too intense... No! I won't stop! The light flickered again. "Stop fighting! Y-you're weak! You're pathetic! Y-you can't win!" Imperiumal continued to scream, his voice rising in volume and pitch. He sounded terrified, desperate.

I won't listen to you, Imperiumal! I can and will win. Chat fought harder than he ever had, the pain erupting through his skull. He screamed, and his body shook, but he didn't stop. Suddenly, the light flickered, as if it was giving its last trembling breath, before dying out completely. It dimmed, as well as the pain. Chat's body stopped shaking, and his head stopped throbbing. He was panting. He slowly got to his feet, feeling incredibly weak.

"What?! No! No! How?! How! I had YOU!" Imperiumal screamed, stomping his feet and losing his composure entirely.

Chat looked up at the akuma. For all of those pain filled dreams, he knew he should feel hatred, but all he felt was... pity. "Imperiumal, I think it's time you owe me an explanation." He said.

Imperiumal's eyes were wild. He stared at Chat Noir, his mouth hanging open. "You were mine to control!" He began, shaking his pendulum. It was no longer glowing. "Mine to subdue! I had you, you were my vessel! The entire time I struggled, you fought my influence, even though I had that Marinette girl to distract you! Finally I had you. I had you under full control! You were locked away, under pain and suffering, until you suddenly decided to fight back! Curse you!" Imperiumal suddenly paused, his chest heaving in and out large breaths of air. He stared down at the ground. He smiled. "The only way to win..." He muttered softly. He sounded... strange. Chat took a step back, startled by the sudden change of attitude. "If... I killed you..." His voice was growing in volume. "If I killed you... You wouldn't fight." He looked up. Imperiumal's eyes were large, and Chat could see desperation and insanity etched into them. "You need to die, kitty cat!" He suddenly cackled and lunged at Chat, swinging his pendulum like a mace.

Chat quickly ducked underneath Imperiumal's arm, watching his every movement. Imperiumal wasn't only wanting to hurt him, he was now out to kill him. His arms were flailing and his smile was wide. He had lost his wits. "Cataclysm!" Chat called out, holding up his hand. He felt the familiar rush of power in his hand, and he brought it down, black spots and designs swirling around his palm and fingers. Chat had to be careful. Imperiumal was clearly insane, and that made him even more dangerous. 

Imperiumal roared in anger and came at Chat again. Chat slid to the side and jumped behind him, grabbing his arm that held the pendulum. He flung Imperiumal down onto the ground, just as he had done to him in past dreams. He quickly reached down and snatched the pendulum, holding it up in his hand that held his destructive power. "NO!" Imperiumal screeched. "NO NO NO!" 

Chat watched in victory and disbelief as the golden pendulum flickered one last time before it was covered in black, turning to dust right before his eyes. The small pile of dust in his hand seemed to pulse with light, and Chat was suddenly seized by a wave of pain. He yelped and the dust slid out of his hand. He cried out and grabbed his head, falling to his knees. The pain was unbearable. It felt as if his mind was being ripped out, a mischievous hand picking and choosing which parts to utterly destroy.

Chat fell onto the ground, crying out in agony. He thought he would've been used to the pain, but this was different. His eyes panned the darkness one last time, catching a glimpse of Imperiumal lying unconscious on the ground. Then, the world itself suddenly flashed, the darkness pulsing with golden and indigo light. The light swirled in confusing ways, deforming. The dust of the pendulum and cage soon joined the mix, and the world flashed a bright white. 

Then everything was gone.


	22. Memories

Chat slowly opened his eyes. He was outside, the sun just beginning to set. He sat up, looking around in confusion. How did he get here? "Ladybug?" He looked at Ladybug, who had tears in her eyes as she kneeled beside him.

"I-I'm here." She said softly.

Chat was confused. Why was she looking at him like that? He looked around at his surroundings, surprised to see a strange man lying unconscious on the ground not too far away. A small pile of dust was laying beside him. An akuma slowly fluttered out of the pile and continued to make it's escape. Ladybug quickly got to her feet and rushed towards the akuma, capturing it. Shortly afterwards the white butterfly was gracefully flying away.

The man was now a young adult with brown hair. He got to his knees, rubbing his head. "Where am I?" He said, confused and scared. Chat felt like he could relate entirely.

"Sir, you were akumatized." Ladybug said, bending down and helping the man up onto his feet. He was shaky, but he was able to stand. "It's been almost a month, but you're okay now."

"John?!" A woman was standing about twenty feet away. Tears were falling down her cheeks, and her hands were trembling.

"Millie?" The young man said, his eyes wide.

The so called Millie cried out in joy and ran to the young man, the two instantly embracing. "You were gone for so long.." Millie said quietly, sobbing. "I thought I'd lost you... everyone had given up hope."

Ladybug watched the two for a moment longer before deciding John was in safe hands. She turned to Chat and rushed to him. Chat had gotten to his feet. He had been watching John and Millie as well, becoming more and more bewildered at every passing moment.

"Chat! Chat, we did it! You did it!" Ladybug said, hugging him just as Millie was hugging John. Chat hugged her back, not even knowing why. He looked over her shoulder, watching as people drifted into the plaza, staring in disbelief. Most were cheering. Why were they cheering?

Ladybug soon let go, and Chat saw, to his disbelief, tears in her eyes. Her smile soon faded. "Chat...? What's wrong?"

Chat looked into Ladybug's eyes, hoping what he was going to say next wouldn't make those tears fall over onto her cheeks. "I...I don't... Ladybug, what's going on? All I remember is falling asleep in an alleyway... was that strange man Blaze?"

Ladybug stared at him. "Y-yeah... but his name was...Imperiumal."

Huh... Imperiumal... why does that sound familiar? "Did he change or something?" When Ladybug didn't answer, he continued. "I don't remember an akuma named Imperiumal."

"You... You don't remember?" Ladybug said quietly, almost a whisper. A small tear tipped over the edge of her eye and slowly fell down her cheek.

"I...I..." Chat didn't know what to say. What didn't he remember? What happened? "I remember falling asleep in an alleyway. You had hurt your leg, and then I chased Blaze into the alleyways, and he put me to sleep with a pendulum. Did I just wake up? How long have I been out?" Suddenly, Ladybug burst into tears. She lunged into him, grabbing him tight in another embrace. She was sobbing, just like Millie. Chat had no idea what was going on. He felt disorientated. It was strange... He felt as if a lot happened, but he had no knowledge of what it was.

"W-Wait!" Ladybug said, choking on her tears. She backed away slightly, now only grasping his shoulders. "I-I still have my lucky charm! It'll...It'll fix it!" She said. She bent down and picked up the golden bell. She had dropped it when she had hugged him. "Miraculous Ladybug!" She shouted, throwing the bell into the air. It burst into the glowing glimmer of Ladybugs, darting this way and that around the sky. A large group of the ladybugs came down from the sky and swirled around Chat Noir, and he looked around in amazement. After a few moments the hundreds of tiny ladybugs faded away into nothing. Chat looked up at Ladybug, and she looked back at him, hope in her eyes. "What do you r-remember?" She said, stuttering.

"I... I don't think it worked, Ladybug." He said quietly, hating himself for making her cry. But then again, why was she?

Ladybug's lip slightly trembled and more tears came, and she rushed back into a hug. She hugged him tightly, unlike she had ever before. "No... No it always fixes it... it always works." She moaned.

Chat let Ladybug hug him for a while, and he hugged her back, rubbing her back comfortingly. He had no idea why she was crying... However, he was starting to put pieces together. He had forgotten something. He was willing to bet it was because of the akuma. He felt empty, as if he had lost something important. Which, he probably had. "Ladybug... why was your lucky charm my bell?" He asked softly. Ladybug pulled away, wiping her eyes before responding.

"I think it meant... that you had to defeat him... But I don't know." She said. Chat nodded silently, trying to make sense of anything. He looked around the plaza. People were starting to gather around them, curious of why Ladybug was crying and why Chat seemed so oblivious to anything. "I know who can help." Ladybug said suddenly. She reached out and took his hand, starting to lead him through the small crowd that was quickly growing.

"Who?"

Ladybug did her best to smile, but it was weak and fake. "Just trust me." She said.


	23. Master Fu

"He's in here." Ladybug said as she opened the door. She walked in, still wiping at her eyes. Chat followed, taking in his surroundings. Apparently someone here was supposed to help them.

"Hello Ladybug. Ah, and Chat Noir." A voice greeted them, but Ladybug was blocking Chat's view. Chat stepped to the side of Ladybug, looking down at the short old man that stood before them.

"Master Fu... I need your help." Ladybug said, taking Chat's hand. Chat glanced down at her hand, wondering why she was holding his.

"Imperiumal is defeated?" The so called Master Fu asked, a hand stroking his gray goatee. Ladybug nodded, and he continued. "What is the problem?"

"It... It's Chat. He doesn't... remember." Ladybug said, squeezing Chat's hand gently.

Master Fu looked at Chat, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Chat Noir, what do you remember?"

Chat glanced at Ladybug, before looking back at the old man. "Um... I remember chasing Blaze...or I guess Imperiumal into an alleyway. He then... transformed because I remember seeing a pair of indigo eyes... Anyways he then put me to sleep with a pendulum." Chat explained. "I'm sorry sir, but... who are you?" Chat thought he had seen this old man before. He looked surprisingly familiar.

"I am Master Fu, the last guardian of the miraculous. I was the one who gave you your miraculous." Master Fu explained. Chat's eyes widened slightly.

He was the man I helped outside of the school! On my first day! "I remember helping you, sir." Chat said.

Master Fu nodded. "Yes. That act of kindness proved you would be an excellent Chat Noir. And I don't think I was wrong." Master Fu paused before continuing. "Now... About Imperiumal and your memory, Chat Noir. You see, Ladybug had visited me before, explaining the new akuma, Imperiumal. I had my suspicions that he was a mind controlling akuma, but I never spoke of it. However, it turns out that he was indeed battling for control in your mind, ever since he had put you to sleep with his hypnosis pendulum."

Ladybug stared at Master Fu, putting a hand over her mouth. Chat could tell she was anguished. "I'm sorry, uh... Master Fu, but... how long has it been? You know, ever since I last saw Imperiumal, or I guess.. When he put me to sleep?"

Master Fu hesitated before answering. "I'll answer that question with you privately." He said. For some reason, Chat knew he wasn't going to like the answer. "Before I do, I must caution you both. Hawk Moth now knows both of your identities." Chat's jaw fell open and he looked over at Ladybug to see how she would react. Ladybug's eyes were wide and wet, but she looked as if she had expected this. She didn't make eye contact. "You see, Imperiumal was inside Chat Noir's mind, and because of that, he saw everything you saw. Unfortunately, we did not realize this, and you both revealed your identities to each other."

Chat immediately looked over at Ladybug, his jaw still hanging open. "W-We did?!" He sputtered, not believing his ears. Were we close? Just how long was Imperiumal controlling me?! 

Ladybug nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry you don't remember, Chat." She said quietly.

"So can I detransform right now? Does it matter anymore? Ladybug knows my identity, Hawk Moth knows both of ours... so can we both detransform?" He said, desperately wanting to know Ladybug's identity. He had known before, after all.

"Chat Noir, that is between you and Ladybug. However, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room for just a moment. I need to speak with Ladybug privately." Master Fu said. Ladybug glanced at Chat, worry and despair clouding her eyes. Chat silently nodded, hoping Ladybug would be willing to show him her identity once again. He turned and left, his mind spinning. I wish I could remember... His heart ached to know what he had lost, and as the door closed behind him, he had the sudden urge to eavesdrop. However, he thought against it. 

"Claws in." Chat said, closing his eyes as the transformation swept over him. He opened his eyes, seeing Plagg hovering in the air in front of him. He looked extremely depressed and scared. He glanced at Adrien, but he looked away, avoiding eye contact. "Plagg...? I... don't remember anything." He said, wondering why his small kwami wasn't complaining about his stomach.

"I know, kid." He said. Adrien waited for him to say more. When he didn't, Adrien sighed and walked to the wall, sliding down so that he was sitting on the ground.

A while passed, and soon Ladybug walked out of the room. Adrien quickly got to his feet, Plagg hovering near his shoulder. "...He wants to talk to you." Ladybug said, tears still in her eyes. Her eyes lingered on Adrien's until she finally turned and walked off without another word. Adrien, slightly worried to be alone with Master Fu, walked in, Plagg trailing him silently. The black kwami hadn't said anything the entire time.

"Master Fu...? Ladybug said you wanted to talk to me." Adrien said, walking in and shutting the door behind him.

Master Fu was sitting on the ground, and he nodded for Adrien to sit across from him. Adrien did. "Yes. Now... Allow me to share a story with you."

Plagg instantly flew in between Adrien and Master Fu, as quick as a dart. "Master Fu, please... I don't want him to hear this." Plagg begged. Adrien looked at his kwami in surprise, and his curiosity was peaked.

Master Fu looked at Plagg thoughtfully before speaking. "Plagg, I understand how you feel, but he must hear this. He must understand the consequences of mind control. Please allow me to continue."

"...But..." Plagg sighed. "Alright." Plagg flew back down onto the ground, sitting next to Adrien. Adrien, curious but still confused, waited for Master Fu to continue.

"Have you ever wondered about past super heroes who have held the black cat miraculous?" Master Fu asked. Adrien nodded. "Well, there was one in particular... a long time ago, who had fallen in love with a young girl. She was beautiful and kind. In fact...I was going to give her the ladybug miraculous, but I... never got the chance.

"One night, after weeks of visiting this young girl, the superhero waited where they had earlier planned to meet. She never showed up. The young superhero waited all night, hoping against the odds that she would finally show. When at last midnight came, he went back home, defeated. He went to visit the young girl the next morning and found her dead in her room. No one knew how it happened. All anyone ever knew was that she was murdered on the night she was supposed to visit the young superhero. When he found out, the superhero was devastated. He didn't think rationally and he visited a self proclaimed hypnotist, and he told the man to erase his memories of the young girl. However, as expected, the hypnotizing didn't go as planned and the young superhero went insane. Yes, he had lost his memories of the girl, but by doing so he had lost his sanity. Instantly I came and took the miraculous from him, knowing it would be far too dangerous to leave it with him. The next day the young man was also reported dead. He... had killed himself, due to his insanity."

Master Fu ended his tale, leaving Adrien wondering about it. "Sir... You don't think I'll..." Adrien said hesitantly, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Your mind will only turn against you if you allow it too." Master Fu said. Meaning I could go insane... Adrien thought to himself. However, before Adrien could voice his fears Master Fu continued. "You must understand, Adrien, that you can't be careless. The world can be a dangerous place for the oblivious."

Just as soon as Master Fu finished his explanation, a question jumped into Adrien's head. "Sir... how much time has passed? I mean... how long had I been controlled by Imperiumal?"

"I'm sorry to say this, Adrien, but... it's been about a month." Master Fu said remorsefully.

Adrien stared at the old sitting across from him. "A...a month?" He repeated, flabbergasted. How much has happened?! Has it really been a month?

The room fell silent for a while, and another question sprang into Adrien's head, despite his fear and bewilderment from his newly acquired information. "Master Fu, I'm assuming Ladybug told you about her lucky charm, right?" Master Fu nodded. "Do you know why it was my bell?"

Master Fu smiled. "The lucky charm works in mysterious ways. It must have been telling Ladybug that you were the only one who could defeat Imperiumal. And you did, of course, with your mind. But be warned. Your mind may become your greatest enemy, your memories the source of its power. Have a good day, Chat Noir."


	24. Let's Start Again

Adrien walked into his room, shutting the door behind him. He had looked around the house for his father, but he couldn't find him anywhere... he had even looked in his office. Adrien sighed and sat down on his bed. "Hey Plagg?" Adrien called out. Plagg flew into view, still looking sober from the story.

"What is it, kid? Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm a bit confused still, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Plagg motioned for him to continue. "It's about that story that Master Fu told me."

"What about it?"

"Well... did you have any part in it?"

Plagg didn't say anything for a while. Finally he sighed and answered. "Of course I did. I was his kwami, after all. I advised him not to become too attached to that girl, but he didn't listen. I told him that people would target her if he continued with those visits."

"Why would people target her?" Adrien asked.

"Listen, Kid. People were different back then. They were afraid of the superhero he became. Of course they didn't know his identity, but he would visit the girl in his superhero form. Anyways, some people hated him. They wanted to make him disappear. So, they decided to target the one girl he seemed to love." Plagg said, his voice laced with hurt.

"So what you mean is..."

"They killed her. The people who hated him. And he knew it. That's why he...wanted to forget." Plagg said.

Adrien, catching onto the despair that Plagg felt, quickly intervened. "You don't have to explain the rest, Plagg. But... I'm sorry about what happened."

"It's not your fault."

The two of them fell silent, the sun finally swallowed by the hungry horizon. "Were you close to him?" Adrien asked softly.

Plagg nodded. "Yeah. It was strange and terrifying to watch him slowly lose his sanity... he didn't recognize me... he... tried to kill me, flailing his arms, and..." Plagg trailed off, the memory too painful to continue.

"...I'm sorry." Adrien said.

Plagg paused before responding. "It's all her fault..." He said softly. 

"What?" 

Plagg's eyes hardened. "It's all that girls fault that he died. If he wasn't so attached to her, then he wouldn't have gone insane, and... and he wouldn't... wouldn't be gone..." Plagg trailed off, sighing. 

"But you can't blame her! It was his own decision to have feelings for her." Adrien said. 

Plagg looked over at Adrien. "I know... but I can't help but feel that way. That's... that's why I didn't want you with Marinette. I was worried... I would lose you too." 

Adrien smiled softly. "You won't lose me, Plagg. You'll look out for me, and I'll do the same for you. There's no reason to worry."

Plagg didn't reply for a moment. However, when he did, he flew up so that he was in line with Adrien's eyes. "You need to visit Marinette."

"Huh?"

"You need to visit her."

"Is this because I lost my memory?" Adrien asked.

Plagg nodded. "Transform and go visit her."

Adrien, confused yet intrigued, stood up. "...Ok... Plagg, claws out."

 

Chat Noir lightly landed on Marinette's balcony, feeling out of place. He walked to her trap door and knocked on the glass, stepping back as it opened. Marinette's head popped out of her room, and she looked at Chat with a slight smile. "Hey Chat."

"Uh, hi...um...sorry, but I was told...to come... here." Chat felt extremely embarrassed and childish. He couldn't help but feel like some sort of deranged stalker.

Marinette nodded knowingly. She climbed out of her room, walking to the railing. Chat followed, and together they leaned on it. "I wish you knew this still, but... I'm Ladybug. Plagg told you to come, because you lost your memory."

Chat did a double take. He spun to face Marinette, his jaw hanging open. "W-what?!" He sputtered.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette said, and to Chat's amazement and disbelief, Marinette transformed into Ladybug right before his very eyes. Ladybug laughed lightly. "I guess this is the second time I've shown you my identity."

Chat stared at Ladybug, awestruck. "Marinette? Your Ladybug?!" Ladybug nodded. "W-what?"

Ladybug smiled. "You aren't disappointed... are you?"

"Disappointed?! Of course not!" He smiled and hugged her, his mind spinning. So much had happened in such little time. He pulled away after a while, and Ladybug's smile fell.

"Listen, Chat... I... We..." She took a deep breath then continued. "We loved each other. I don't know if it was really you, or if it was Imperiumal, but... I still love you, Chat."

Chats eyes widened. He couldn't believe it! His heart raced and his cheeks turned slightly pink. "I-I love you too, Ladybug. I...I always h-have."

"Do you feel the same way about Marinette?"

"I..." Chat trailed off, not knowing what to say. He loved Ladybug, and he liked Marinette, but now they were the same person... "Ladybug, I want to. I want to start this again. I want to regain my lost memories." He reached out and took her hands. Her touch felt strangely familiar. "Let's start again." He smiled. "...please?"

Ladybug laughed softly and hugged Chat again. "Yes... a thousand times yes!"

 

Adrien plopped onto his bed, a very large grin on his face. "Had a good time?" Plagg asked from the desk. He was opening a can of Camembert.

"Yeah... Thanks, Plagg. For everything."

"No problem, Kid." Plagg said. A soft pop was heard, and Plagg was happily chewing away. Adrien was already in his pajamas, and he crawled underneath his covers, rolling onto his side. So much had happened... his mind wandered, and he thought about Imperiumal. He thought about the young man named John, who had been akumatized for at least a month. In a way, he was like Adrien. He didn't remember anything that had happened.

And then there was a Hawk Moth... He now knew both his and Ladybug's identities. Surely he would attack soon. Adrien knew he had to be extremely careful. He hoped Ladybug felt the same way. Also, he was curious where his father was…

Adrien sighed and slowly closed his eyes. Despite all of his current problems, he simply wanted to have one full nights rest before he had to worry anymore. Yes, he didn't realize how desperately he needed a night free from Imperiumal's torture, but his mind was tired all the same.

After all... 

Some things just can't be forgotten.


	25. Author's Note

First of all, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who stuck through the entire adventure! This is my first Fan fiction that I've ever written. I have started others, but I never finished them because the idea wasn't completed. (Or it just wasn't good enough...)

However, I realize that halfway through or even through the entire Fanfic you were probably confused. I couldn't have explained it thoroughly in the story itself because Chat Noir forgets about the entire thing, and everyone (but what about Master Fu? Mwahaha...) isn't aware of Imperiumal's mind controlling abilities. So I'll explain it to you now. I'll try to simplify it as much as I can.

Ever since Adrien fell asleep for that five day nap, he wasn't being controlled by Imperiumal. He was being influenced. Imperiumal was trying to take control of Adrien, but Adrien was subconsciously fighting him. That is why his dreams felt so real and why his head ached whenever he woke. His dreams did happen in his mind. He was having battles against Imperiumal throughout the entire story.

However, towards the end when Adrien fell asleep in class and gave up fighting the light, I hope most of you noticed how emotionless and different he seemed. That is because Imperiumal had finally taken full control over Adrien. Basically it was Imperiumal's mind inside Adrien's body.

Of course, as all of you (hopefully) know, Adrien once again fought Imperiumal in The Final Dream. He won, and Imperiumal was defeated. So... all is well... right? HAH! Nope. Hawk Moth is still out there, (Gabriel is probably having some serious issues right now *wink wink*) and even worse some people saw Adrien transform into Chat Noir when Imperiumal had taken full control over Adrien. 

Yes, I am writing a sequel to this Fanfic to tie up loose ends, so we'll have to wait and see when that's finished.  
Again, thank you so much for reading! I hope it was worth your time. Keep being amazing and remember, some things just can't be forgotten!

Before you go, here's a little fun fact:

"imperium" in Latin means "control"

and

"mal" in French means "evil"

so

"Imperiumal" almost kind of literally means "evil control"


End file.
